


Into The Depths

by BaileyB00



Series: Once Upon A Time [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen - Freeform, I don’t really know how old they are but like prob older than they actually are, M/M, Sirens and mermaids are different, The little mermaid - Freeform, and hyunjin will make sure u know that, but only right at the end rip, changlix if u squint, i guess ??, seungmin is sad, sorry - Freeform, this whole thing is not gonna be as depressing as the tags/summary make it sound I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-11-18 12:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18121142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaileyB00/pseuds/BaileyB00
Summary: Kim Seungmin is alone.When he plunges into the icy ocean one day, he doesn't expect to wake up. He definitely doesn't expect to be rescued from his near-drowning by a strange and beautiful boy with secrets of his own who seems intent on sticking around.ora Little Mermaid au in which Hyunjin is the mermaid and Seungmin is the human he falls in love with.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOME
> 
> A little warning: in this first chapter, there’s some heavy stuff that goes down, so if you’re sensitive to suicide please don’t read it. sorry :// It won’t be sad forever, I promise

Kim Seungmin was alone.

He’d made this trip to the ocean before. It was only recently that he began going alone. He loved his friends, and he loved spending time with them, but he couldn’t help feeling like he was alone, even when they were all together. 

That’s why he was going to the ocean today. 

He walked slowly but with purpose. It was a cloudy, dreary day, and it looked like it might rain. Seungmin didn’t care. He trudged on through the barren streets of town towards the beach. He’d woken up early that morning, which hadn’t been part of the plan but for which he was grateful. The earlier he got to the docks, the less chance there’d be that anyone would see him. If someone saw him, they’d try to stop him. And Seungmin didn’t want to be stopped.

The air smelled of salt. He’d miss the smell of the ocean.

Seungmin reached the docks. He walked into the farthest one, away from where the local fishermen usually docked their boats. None of them were there, the fishermen having left town even earlier than Seungmin. _Good riddance,_ he thought.

He kicked off his shoes when he got to the end of the dock. If anyone thought to look for him, maybe they’d find them if he left them here. He placed them carefully, purposefully, behind him, and with them he left a folded piece of paper, onto which he had written two simple words: “I’m sorry.”

Seungmin was ready. He stepped onto the end of the dock and looked down into the blue-gray water. Everything seemed gray to him these days. He took a deep breath and dove forward, plunging into the icy waves. He immediately began to sink into the depths; the water here was deeper than he remembered. He closed his eyes. He felt numb. It was cold at the bottom of the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :,(


	2. Something in the Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a real monster compared to the first one, almost 2k works

Hyunjin was intrigued.

He was also confused. He’d been watching the pretty human standing above the water with an odd sense of curiosity. He, nor anyone he knew (other than his father, of course), never been this close to the surface—sirens were wary creatures by nature and rarely left the ocean’s depths. However, being the son of the Sea King came with its perks.

Traveling to the Surfaceworld, for example.

He’d never done it—never taken human form and walked amongst the curious creatures of the land—but then again, he’d never had a reason to before today, although he’d always been curious as to what it was like. His father thought contact with humans was one of the worst things a siren could possibly do, a complete betrayal of the entire species. That was why he’d never been close enough to a human to really even tell what they looked like. At least, not before today. The human standing above him looked sad, so heart-achingly sad. He just kept staring down at the water, and Hyunjin couldn’t help feeling like the boy was staring directly at him, even though he knew he was deep enough for the water to conceal him. Hyunjin didn’t understand what the human was doing. He knew humans couldn’t swim very well; their species just wasn’t designed for underwater travel.

So it shocked him, to say the least, when the boy dove into the water and began to sink.

He didn’t even make an attempt to swim. Hyunjin watched as the boy floated downwards. How long could humans last without the air they breathe? Hyunjin didn’t know. He didn’t understand what was happening. The boy’s eyes were closed. Hyunjin’s heartbeat picked up its pace with every second the boy spent sinking, every second the boy didn’t put up a fight as the current pulled him closer to the ocean floor. 

Hyunjin couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to do something. He swam over to the boy and took him by the arms, pulling him towards the shore. He knew he had to act quickly, but he couldn’t be sure how much time he had. If he was going to Change, he had to do it now. He pushed the boy onto the sand and swam back a bit, so he’d have enough room to trade his fins for legs. It was a painful process—it felt like bones were snapping and refusing themselves back together—which, he supposed, they were. It was agonizing, but all Hyunjin could do was grit his teeth—he felt that he had to help that human. As soon as his new human legs were fully formed, he clambered out of the sea and onto the sand. 

He knew that humans wore strange garments to cover their bodies, but he didn’t have any of those, nor did he have time to worry about it. He rushed to the boy’s side and pressed two fingers to his forehead. Hyunjin’s suspicions were correct—there was seawater in the boy’s lungs. Hyunjin closed his eyes and called the water to him, drawing it out of the human’s lungs. Hyunjin sighed with relief.  _ This human won’t die today. _

<><><><><>

Seungmin’s eyes flew open. He coughed, and saltwater came spilling out of his lips. He was lying flat on his back in the sand. His head pounded. His throat burned.

He was alive.

He was alive, and there was a stark naked stranger staring at him intently. 

Seungmin scrambled into a sitting position and scooted away from the stranger. “What the fuck?” he shouted hoarsely, which made his throat burn even more. 

The boy before him didn’t make a reply. He just looked confused. His dark hair clung in wet strands to his forehead, and he shivered slightly. 

“Who in the everloving  _ fuck _ are you? And why in the hell—where are your  _ clothes? _ ”

“I am sorry,” the stranger said. “I—”

“Jesus, I can’t do this,” Seungmin said, his face burning. He pulled off the oversized maroon hoodie he’d been wearing (his heavy one—he’d hoped it would have helped him drown more quickly) and threw it at the boy. “Please put that on,” Seungmin told him. He couldn’t look at the stranger until he did. He’d just have to pray the hoodie would cover—well, everything that needed to be covered. 

“Oh, thank  _ fuck,” _ Seungmin said when the boy finally pulled the sweatshirt over his head. It hung to his mid-thighs.  _ Thank god.  _

“My name is Hwang Hyunjin,” the boy said slowly, articulating every syllable carefully. 

“Okay, Hyunjin,” Seungmin said. “Where did you come from?”

“What is your name?”

Seungmin sighed. He figured the kid was probably high or something. He didn’t seem as strung out as the normal kids who liked to get high, but Seungmin had met a lot of  _ those _ types in his time. Even still, if his suspicions were correct, and Hyunjin was the one who’d pulled him out of the water, then it was a wonder he hadn’t ended up drowning, too. “I’m Seungmin,” he said. “Kim Seungmin.”

“Seungmin, why did you jump into the sea?”

Seungmin colored. “Look, this isn’t the place to talk about that. Do you need help? You can come back to my apartment if you want. I’m—uh, I’m guessing you don’t know where your clothes are?”

Hyunjin paused, then shook his head. “Of course not,” Seungmin muttered. He turned to walk towards his apartment. Hyunjin didn’t follow. “Are you coming?” he asked.

Hyunjin’s dark eyes widened, and then he nodded. He walked up to Seungmin’s side and took his hand. Seungmin flushed lightly, but said nothing. This kid would be out of his hair and back to his junkie friends before long, and then Seungmin would never have to think of him again. Thank god.  _ I don’t need any more addicts in my life.  _

“Oh,” Seungmin said, pausing, “hang on a sec. I need to get my shoes.”

He pulled his hand away from Hyunjin’s and walked to the end of the dock where, just minutes earlier, he’d tried—and failed—to die. He grabbed his shoes and pulled them on quickly, sensing Hyunjin’s eyes on him. He didn’t bother tying the laces. As soon as he reached Hyunjin’s side, the boy once again laced their fingers together. Seungmin decided a second time not to say anything. He’d have all the time in the world to ask questions once they reached Seungmin’s apartment. 

Finally, Seungmin and Hyunjin walked into the apartment complex that Seungmin had called home for the past year. Seungmin didn’t exactly have the best memories of the place, but he also didn’t have the means to leave. “It’s not a lot,” Seungmin said as he lead Hyunjin through the door and into his tiny kitchen, “but it’s better than being homeless.”

Hyunjin nodded without saying anything, taking in his surroundings. He was leaning comfortably into Seungmin’s side. Suddenly, Hyunjin’s head whipped around, and his eyes bore into Seungmin’s. “You,” he said, “sit.”

“Excuse me?”

Hyunjin took Seungmin by the shoulders and guided him into a chair. “What are you—” Seungmin started to complain, but stopped as soon as he was sat down. He didn’t realize how completely dead on his feet he was.  _ Isn’t that just the pinnacle of irony, _ Seungmin thought bitterly. 

“You were in the water,” Hyunjin said. “You were s-sinking. You—you were—” Hyunjin sighed in frustration. “I don’t have the words,” he said exasperatedly. 

Seungmin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That—don’t answer my question with a question,” Hyunjin said angrily. “Why were you in the sea?”

“It wasn’t obvious?” Seungmin asked. Hyunjin frowned at him. “Sorry, that was another question answered with a question. I just meant. . . I can’t believe you couldn’t tell what I was doing.” He looked Hyunjin in the eyes. 

Hyunjin could see it again—that deep sadness reverberating inside the boy he’d pulled from the ocean’s icy clutches. 

“I was trying to die, Hyunjin,” Seungmin said quietly. Tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks, though he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t sad before he jumped. He’d just felt. . . empty. 

“I was trying to die,” Seungmin said, “and you stopped me. Why?”

“I—I had to,” Hyunjin said. “I didn’t know what was happening. But I knew that humans can’t last long underwater; you’re nothing like sirens, really. I knew you didn’t have much time, so I had to—”

“Hang on,” Seungmin said. “Wait a minute. What did you say?”

“Humans can’t last long underwater,” Hyunjin replied. 

“No.” Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I meant after that.” Surely he’d misheard. . . ? It sounded like Hyunjin had said  _ sirens _ . The only time he’d ever heard anyone speak so solemnly about  _ that _ was when the local fishermen had a few too many drinks and went on rants about the mermaids that stole their fish. “Poseidon has cursed me,” one of them would inevitably wail in his drunken stupor. Needless to say, no one ever believed them.

“I said that humans are nothing like sirens,” Hyunjin said matter-of-factly. “You can barely spend any time in the water before your bodies stop working.”

“So let me get this straight,” Seungmin said. “You’re saying you’re a—a mermaid?”

“Siren,” Hyunjin corrected. “But—but that is not important. I am here because you—”

“I don’t believe you,” Seungmin deadpanned.

“What?” Hyunjin asked. The kid looked genuinely confused. “Why?”

“Because mermaids aren’t real.”

Hyunjin frowned. “We are not  _ mermaids,” _ he said. “We’re  _ sirens.” _

“And what’s the difference, exactly?” This kid was definitely on something. 

“The mermaids—humans killed them all,” Hyunjin said with a sad look in his eyes. “They were gentler than sirens. They were very similar to us, but we were always more fierce. They trusted humans, and humans killed them. There are no more mermaids in the ocean.”

“Okay,” Seungmin said dubiously. “If you’re really a  _ siren, _ like you say, why don’t you prove it?”

As soon as the words left Seungmin’s mouth, there was a glint in Hyunjin’s eyes that screamed,  _ Challenge accepted. _ With a smirk, Hyunjin grabbed Seungmin’s hand and practically dragged him out the door. 

“Hey—!” Seungmin protested. “What are you—where are we going?”

“Beach,” was all Hyunjin said in reply. Seungmin’s stomach rolled. He wasn’t incredibly eager to revisit the ocean. Not yet anyway. Hyunjin tugged him along nevertheless. When they got to the beach, Hyunjin looked Seungmin in the eyes and said, “Stay here.” He promptly walked to the end of the dock, took off Seungmin’s sweater, and dove into the ocean.

Seungmin ran onto the dock.  _ That idiot is going to die, _ he thought frantically. Before he knew what he was doing, he dove into the icy water for the second time that day after him. 

He couldn’t see Hyunjin anywhere. Granted, he couldn’t see much of anything, but Hyunjin couldn’t have gotten too far away from the end of the dock, right?

In the blink of an eye, Hyunjin was right in front of him. His hair floated in ghostly clouds around his face. His skin appeared to have taken on an emerald green tint. And Hyunjin—

He—

Hyunjin had a tail. 

  
He appeared human until just beneath his bellybutton, where skin gave way to scales. Where his legs should have been, there was a long, powerful-looking fish’s tail.  _ He wasn’t high after all, _ Seungmin thought wildly. Hyunjin extended a webbed hand towards him, and Seungmin jerked back, not caring about the hurt he thought he saw flash through the siren’s eyes. Upon doing so, Seungmin’s head connected with the beam supporting the dock. The last thing Seungmin saw before everything faded to black were Hyunjin’s hands outstretched towards him, ready to bring him to shore for the second time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> move over percy jackson, there’s a new son of poseidon in town and his name is hwang hyunjin


	3. Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop this chapter took longer to write than I expected

Seungmin woke with a start. He was. . . in his apartment? No, that wasn’t right. He was just on the beach. With that kid. Hyunjin. And Hyunjin. . . he—

It had to have been a wild dream. Right? _Surely I didn’t. . . no. I’ve been clean for too long._ “There’s no way,” he muttered to himself.

“No way for what?” asked a voice. Seungmin yelped and leapt from his spot on his couch and looked around wildly for the voice’s owner.

Hyunjin was standing in his kitchen. Hyunjin, who wasn’t human. Hyunjin the siren.

“N-nothing,” Seungmin managed “Did—did you bring me here?”

Hyunjin nodded. “I borrowed some of your—things,” Hyunjin said, gesturing awkwardly to his (thankfully) fully-clothed body. “I don’t know the words,” he went on. “I hope this is okay.”

“Clothes,” Seungmin supplied. “That’s what they’re called. And it’s—its fine.” Hyunjin was wearing another one of Seungmin’s hoodies and his black jeans. He had to admit, the kid looked pretty good for someone who’d never seen a pair of pants before.

“Why did you come into the water after me?” Hyunjin asked. “Were you—was it like before? Were you trying to die again?”

“No,” Seungmin said, the tips of his ears turning pink, “I uh—I thought you were going to drown.”

Hyunjin frowned. “Sirens can’t drown,” he said. “What—”

“I didn’t believe you,” Seungmin explained. “Obviously I believe you now. But when you saved be the first time, I thought you were crazy.”

“Crazy?”

“Not—not normal. Normal people don’t run around naked on the beach,” Seungmin said. “They also don’t tell other people that they’re not human. How, uh, how long are you planning on sticking around, anyway?”

Hyunjin hesitated, as if processing Seungmin’s words. “I can’t go back to the ocean yet,” he said slowly. “I—I’m stuck.”

“Stuck?” Seungmin asked.

Hyunjin nodded. “After I got you out of the water the second time, I was very tired. I brought you here. You slept. I slept. I woke up. You still slept. I could tell that something was wrong with you, and wrong with me. I can’t Change.”

“Why?”

“I used too much power in one day. I don’t know when I will be able to Change again. Maybe. . . two days?” Hyunjin looked worried. “I can stay?” he asked.

The expression on Hyunjin’s face was that of a lost child. Seungmin couldn’t help feeling bad for him. And even if he didn’t want to be saved, Seungmin was alive because of Hyunjin, so. . .

“Sure,” he said. “You can stay.”

Hyunjin smiled brightly, and he wrapped his arms around Seungmin in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you to the bottom of the sea,” he said excitedly, which Seungmin supposed was his equivalent of _to the moon and back._

“You’re welcome,” he said, pulling out of Hyunjin’s grasp. “So. . . what now?”

“Well,” Hyunjin said, “since I can't Change, I want to learn as much about being human as possible.” He smiled brightly.

“Okay,” Seungmin said. This is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. “What do you wanna know? Anything specific?”

“Oh, lots,” Hyunjin said with a nod. “I have a lot to learn.”

“Got that right,” Seungmin muttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door, effectively making both of them jump. “What’s that?” Hyunjin whispered, looking back and forth between Seungmin and the door with wide eyes.

“Seungmin?” came the muffled voice from the other side of the door. “You home?”

“Y—uh, yeah, just a minute,” Seungmin called. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Hyunjin. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “It’s just my friend, Woojin.” With that, he swiftly turned around and made his way towards the door.

“Hey, hyung,” Seungmin said, opening the door to let Woojin in.

“Uh, hi, Seungmin,” Woojin said with a frown. “You mind telling me who that is?”

“Who—” Seungmin started to ask before turning around; he was startled to find Hyunjin standing directly behind him. The siren’s eyes were wide and full of wariness.

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin said to the siren, “wait here, okay? I need to talk to Woojin a minute. Just sit down and wait, I'll be right back.”

“Oh, _hell_ no,” Woojin said, pushing his way inside. Hyunjin backed up as the older boy entered the apartment, sitting on the couch and curling in on himself; he could sense something was wrong and he didn't want to make it worse for Seungmin.

“Do you wanna tell me what's going on?” Woojin said, glaring at Seungmin. “First you stop answering your phone, for _days,_ scaring the shit out of everyone, and now I show up at your apartment and there's a stranger there who looks high as a kite?” Woojin narrowed his eyes, shooting a quick, angry glance at Hyunjin before returning his attention to Seungmin. “You better start talking, kid. What the hell have you been doing?”

“Hyung—”

“Have you been getting high?”

“No, I—”

“Did that kid give you something?”

_“No—”_

“You better not have been trying to hurt yourself again, Minnie.”

_“Hyung!”_ Finally, Seungmin had Woojin’s attention. “Do you want me to talk to you or not?” Woojin nodded, and Seungmin sighed. He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to figure out how to explain everything to Woojin without making the boy think he'd lost his mind.

“I'm sorry for yelling,” Woojin said. “I just worry about you, Minnie.”

“I know, hyung,” Seungmin said. “And there is a good explanation for all of this, but it's a little. . . outlandish.”

“Outlandish, how?” Woojin asked.

“I'll tell you,” Seungmin said, “but you have to promise you won't get mad. And that you won't accuse me of getting high again. I'm _not_ high. I've been clean for a damn long time, hyung. You know that.” Seungmin looked Woojin in the eyes. “Can you promise me that?”

“I guess?” Woojin said. “It depends on what you say. But you know I'm gonna be here for you no matter what. That's what friends are for, Seungmin.”

Seungmin took a deep breath. “I may have, um,” he mumbled, “jumped off the dock the the other morning and tried to drown?”

_“What?”_ Woojin said sharply. “Oh, _Seungmin—”_

“But I didn't,” Seungmin interrupted. “Drown, I mean. And that's thanks to Hyunjin, here.”

Hyunjin stood upon hearing his name and quickly shuffled to Seungmin’s side. He latched onto Seungmin's arm as Woojin pinned him under a glare. “And who exactly are you, Hyunjin?” Woojin asked.

“I. . .” Hyunjin began. “I—” he looked at Seungmin desperately, clearly unsure of what to say.

“Hyunjin saved me,” Seungmin told Woojin. “He was able to get to me in time. . . because he was already in the water.”

“Well,” Woojin said, “good. But. . . why? Who goes swimming early in the morning?”

“People who aren't people,” Seungmin said.

Woojin frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Seungmin looked at Hyunjin, whose grip was tightening on his arm by the minute. “Is it okay if I tell him? About you?” Seungmin asked. Hyunjin nodded hesitantly.

“Okay, Woojin,” Seungmin said. “This is gonna sound crazy. Believe me, I know.” Seungmin took a deep breath. “I don't even know how to ease my way into this. Hyunjin was in the water because he lives there. He's a siren. Some-fucking-how, he changed into a person and saved my life.”

Woojin said nothing for a long time. He stared at Seungmin, then at Hyunjin, then back at Seungmin. When he did speak, he did it in a quiet voice.

“I'm disappointed in you, Seungmin,” he said. “You said it yourself: you've been clean for a damn long time. I can't believe you've fallen off the wagon after almost a year.”

“Hyung, I'm _not_ high,” Seungmin protested.

“Either you're high or you're insane,” Woojin shot back. “And given your history, I'm pretty sure the former scenario is the more likely one.”

With that, Woojin turned on his heels and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :((
> 
>  
> 
> guys the only things that keep me motivated are pretty girls and feedback. pls I'm begging you 
> 
> also, for those of you who read Someday My Prince Will Come, you may remember that in the notes of the last chapter I mentioned needing suggestions for the rest of this series. that still stands, so if you have any suggestions for a fairy tale you'd like to see my spin on, please don't hesitate to scream @ me in the comments about it :))


	4. Part of Your World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cranked this chapter out so quickly omg, this is the fastest I've ever updated I think :))

“Why did he leave?” Hyunjin asked. He still clung to Seungmin’s arm. “Why was he mad?”

“It’s kind of a long story, Hyunjin,” Seungmin said with a sigh.

“I can listen.”

“Let’s not talk about this, okay?” Seungmin’s eyes felt hot, but he didn’t want to cry. He couldn’t cry. To cry was to show weakness.

“We can do something else. I don’t mind,” Hyunjin said quietly. “I’ve still got a lot to learn, remember?”

Seungmin smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “We could. . . hmm. Are you hungry?” Hyunjin nodded. “We could go get some food. There’s a diner near here. My friend Jisung works there.”

“Will your friend be mad at you? Like just now?” Hyunjin asked. “If he’s going to be mad, too, you shouldn’t go there. You were upset. It’s better when you’re happy.”

“I don’t know if he’ll be mad,” Seungmin said honestly. “I don’t know if Woojin’s gonna tell anyone else what happened. And. . . I can handle being upset. I’ve dealt with worse. Let’s just go.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin said, his tone slightly dubious.

Seungmin stood and found his shoes; he dug to the bottom of his closet to find a pair for Hyunjin, too—he was lucky they were both roughly the same size. He handed the sneakers and a pair of socks to Hyunjin, who just stared at them confusedly.

“They’re for your feet,” Seungmin said. “Look, I’ll show you.” He sat down and demonstrated putting on his socks and shoes, and then he tied the laces. “I can help if you need it,” Seungmin said. “The laces part can be kind of confusing when you’ve never done it before.”

“Like this?” Hyunjin asked before tying the laces of his shoes perfectly on the first try.

“Wow,” Seungmin said, impressed. “You’re a fast learner.”

“We have to be, in the ocean,” Hyunjin said. “In the ocean, everything changes. Always. We have to be ready.” As he spoke, Hyunjin’s gaze grew all the more intense. There was something strong, powerful, even slightly intimidating about it.

“Um, fair enough,” Seungmin mumbled. “Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”

They walked outside into the cool of the evening; as soon as the door to the apartment closed behind them, Hyunjin linked his fingers through Seungmin’s. Hyunjin’s hands were warm and soft, a complete and utter contrast to the way they appeared when they were in the ocean.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Seungmin asked, gesturing to their joined hands. He could feel his face heating up.

“Because,” Hyunjin said. “You’re my guide. And after you tried to die, I decided to help you be safe.”

“Well—please stop,” Seungmin said. “It’s not normal for people who don’t know each other well to hold hands.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said, “okay.” He let go of Seungmin’s hand, opting instead to fidget with his own fingers. They walked in silence for a short while; Hyunjin continued to fidget.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Seungmin muttered. He took Hyunjin’s hand in his. The siren looked at him in bewilderment. “You’ll never pass for human acting like _that,”_ Seungmin said by way of explanation, cheeks red. “At the very least, everyone is gonna think you’re super weird.”

The siren beamed, and Seungmin decided it was much better seeing him smile than seeing him disappointed.

When they walked into the busy diner, they were still hand-in-hand. Jisung, one of the waiters, greeted them with a slightly confused, albeit friendly, smile.

“Hey, Seungmin,” he said. “Who’s this?”

“My name is Hwang Hyunjin.”

“Hyunjin is—ah, he’s a friend of mine,” Seungmin said.

“I can tell,” Jisung said with a glance at their interlocked fingers.

“Listen, Jisung,” Seungmin said, “have you heard from Woojin today?”

“Why?" Jisung asked. "Is something wrong?”

“You could say that,” Seungmin muttered.

“Well,” Jisung said, “You guys go find a seat somewhere, yeah? I’ll be around to talk to you in a few minutes.”

Seungmin nodded. “Thanks, Jisung,” he said. Then he led Hyunjin toward an empty booth in the corner of the room—one of the few empty places to sit left in the diner—and the two of them sat side by side.

Then Seungmin came to a slight realization.

“Shit,” he said to Hyunjin, “what kind of food can you eat? Can—can you even eat food on land?”

“I think so,” Hyunjin said. “When I’m—like this, when I have legs—I should be able to eat the things that humans eat.”

“What do you eat in the ocean?” Seungmin asked, curiosity flaring.

“Fish,” Hyunjin said.

“Hey, guys,” Jisung said, startling the both of them as neither of them had seen the boy coming. He sat a pitcher of water on the table, along with two glasses, and said, “What can I get you?”

Hyunjin looked confused, which was no surprise to Seungmin. “I think I’m gonna switch it up today, Jisung. We’ll both have the, uh—the fish tacos,” Seungmin said, glancing at Hyunjin as he spoke. Jisung nodded, scribbling it down on a notepad. “My shift is just about up, so I’ll be able to sit with you guys while you eat,” he said with a grin. “Back in a flash!”

Hyunjin looked at Seungmin after Jisung left. “What is 'taco?'” he asked. “I know what fish is, but. . .”

“It’s—you know what? You’ll see it when it gets here. It’ll be easier to understand when you can look at it,” Seungmin said.

Hyunjin nodded, looking slightly dazed. “You okay?” Seungmin asked.

“I will be fine,” Hyunjin responded, blinking a few times. “This is something humans. . . usually do?”

“Yeah.”

“And there is usually lots of other humans?”

Seungmin nodded. “Sometimes there’s less people, sometimes there’s more,” he said. “Are there normally large groups of sirens in the ocean?”

“No,” Hyunjin breathed. “We normally are with five or six others. Never this many.”

Seungmin suspected as much. He could feel the discomfort rolling off the siren in waves. Irony.

“I get it,” Seungmin said. “I don’t really like being around a lot of people either.”

“But I thought you said humans are normally in big groups?” Hyunjin asked.

“Well—kind of,” Seungmin said. “It depends on the situation. Sorry, that’s not any less confusing, is it? People aren’t always in big groups, just sometimes. Like now. But some people, like me, don’t like to be in big groups. It makes them nervous.”

“Nervous,” Hyunjin mused.

“Back again!” Jisung sang, bringing with him two plates of food, which he placed in front of Seungmin and Hyunjin, and a basket of french fries for himself.

“Thanks, Jisung,” Seungmin said gratefully. In all honesty, he hadn’t been too hungry when he and Hyunjin had walked into the diner, but now that the food was here, his stomach was growling. Hyunjin, on the other hand, simply stared at his plate with a confused expression on his face. Seungmin picked up one of his tacos and took a bite, hoping Hyunjin would get the hint. Thankfully he did; he sent Seungmin a grateful smile and copied him exactly.

“So,” Jisung said, “Seungmin. You said something happened with Woojin-hyung?”

“Yeah,” Seungmin said. “It’s kind of a long story. He, uh—he thinks I’ve been getting high again.”

“What?” Jisung said, clearly alarmed. “Why? He should know better than anyone that if you were high, we’d know. He should be able to tell just by looking at you that you’re still clean.” Jisung looked at Seungmin through his eyelashes. “You _are_ still clean, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Jisung.” Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I left that part of myself behind me a long time ago. You know that.”

“I know, I know,” Jisung said. “But if Woojin-hyung asked, it couldn’t have been for no reason. And we _all_ know you haven’t exactly had it easy this past year.”

“Yeah. . .” Seungmin trailed off.

“Why _did_ Woojin-hyung have to ask?” Jisung asked.

“Because of me,” Hyunjin said, speaking up for the first time. “He didn’t like me.”

Jisung looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Hyunjin was at my apartment when Woojin came over,” Seungmin explained quickly. “I was helping him out. He was lost, and out of it, but he was _not_ high. Woojin just thought he was. But he didn’t believe me when I said that Hyunjin was fine, even though _I_ would know if someone was high. . .”

Jisung looked dubious. “That’s all?” he asked.

“No,” Hyunjin said with a frown.

 _“Yes,”_ Seungmin said, giving Hyunjin a look, “it is.” Given what had happened with Woojin, it was decidedly better not to tell anyone else the truth about where Hyunjin had come from.

“Are you sure?” Jisung asked. “Because I didn’t wanna say anything, but Woojin-hyung did text me earlier, just a few minutes before I brought your food out.”

“O-oh,” Seungmin said. “What did he say?”

“That you were hanging out with a sketchy stranger and to steer clear,” Jisung said. “But I’m not about to do that, because you’re my friend, Seungmin. And if you say you’re not getting high, then you’re not getting high.”

Seungmin felt the tension leaving him at his friend's words. “Thanks, Jisung,” Seungmin said. “Glad to know that someone believes me.” _Half of what I said may have been me lying through my teeth, but at least I’m not lying about being clean._

“Of course,” Jisung said with a smile.

By that point, the three of them had finished eating. Seungmin paid for their food, and he and Hyunjin stood.

“See you guys later,” Jisung said as they all walked out of the diner.

“You going to Minho-hyung’s?” Seungmin asked.

Jisung grinned. “You know it,” he said. “Bye, guys.” Jisung turned and walked in the opposite direction from where Seungmin's apartment was.

“Who are you talking about?” Hyunjin asked as he linked their hands together yet again.

“Minho,” Seungmin said, “that's Jisung's boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Hyunjin asked. “What's that?”

Seungmin felt his face heating up as he said, “A boyfriend is a boy that you love.”

Hyunjin hummed. “Do you have a boyfriend, Seungmin?”

“. . . No.”

“Why not?”

“A lot of reasons,” Seungmin muttered. “Let's just get home. You look tired.”

“I'm okay,” Hyunjin said.

<><><><><>

Hyunjin was a liar.

By the time they reached Seungmin's apartment, the siren looked ready to pass out from sheer exhaustion. He leaned heavily against Seungmin as they walked inside.

“I knew you looked tired,” Seungmin said quietly. He guided Hyunjin into the bedroom. The siren sat on the bed while Seungmin rummaged through his drawers for something comfortable for him to sleep in. He eventually took a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt from the drawer, along with his own pajamas.

“Here,” Seungmin said, handing the clothes to Hyunjin. “You stay here and put these on. I'm gonna go change in the bathroom.”

Hyunjin yawned and nodded; Seungmin went into the bathroom and changed into his pajamas quickly. He brushed his teeth and returned to his bedroom.

Hyunjin had finished changing his clothes and had already climbed into bed when Seungmin walked in. “I don't know how—how to make it dark,” Hyunjin admitted sheepishly.

“I've got it,” Seungmin said with a small smile. He flicked the lightswitch and made his way toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

Seungmin turned around. “I was going to sleep on the couch,” he said.

“Can—um,” Hyunjin mumbled, “can you stay? In the ocean, we rest in groups. I've never—never been alone while resting.” The siren looked so innocent, like a child. It was intensified by how sleepy he looked. Seungmin couldn't help but say,

“I—okay.”

Seungmin crossed the room and crawled into the bed next to Hyunjin. The siren curled into his side as soon as he did so and was asleep almost immediately thereafter.

Normally, Seungmin's brain would go into overdrive as soon as he got into bed and he wouldn't fall asleep for hours. But now, he could feel his eyelids growing heavy. Maybe it was because of how warm Hyunjin was. Maybe it the way the siren seemed so content to be around him. Whatever the case, Seungmin fell asleep quickly that night, sleeping more peacefully than he had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soft bbys


	5. A Tale of Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also known as: me self projecting just a tad onto our dear seungmin  
> whoopsies

Seungmin woke early the next morning. 

It was warm, almost uncomfortably so. Hyunjin still clung to him; his limbs were wrapped around Seungmin and his face was pressed against his collarbone. In other words, he couldn’t move. Seungmin was completely trapped by Hyunjin’s embrace. 

Thankfully, before he could think too much more about it, Hyunjin began to stir. The siren’s breath fanned against Seungmin’s neck as he woke up. 

“Hello,” Hyunjin said.

“‘Good morning,’” Seungmin said. “You say ‘good morning’ when you wake up.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin replied. “Good morning, then.”

“Hyunjin?” 

“Yes?”

“Can you please let me go so I can get out of bed.”

“Oh, um, right,” Hyunjin said, retreating to the other side of the bed and nearly falling off in the process. The siren reddened, and Seungmin chuckled. “You hungry?” Seungmin asked. “I can make breakfast.”

“Oh, yes please,” Hyunjin said. 

“Alright,” Seungmin said. “Come on.”

Seungmin got out of bed and walked into the kitchen; Hyunjin followed. Seungmin opened his abysmally barren refrigerator and sighed. “Hope you like eggs,” he said, “because that’s all we’ve got.”

Hyunjin didn’t respond; he just took a seat at the kitchen table. Seungmin took out a frying pan and began cracking eggs into it. The sound of sizzling was the only thing to be heard. It made Seungmin antsy.

“So, Hyunjin,” he said, mostly to break the silence but partially out of his own curiosity, “how will you know when you can go back to the ocean?”

“I don’t know,” Hyunjin replied. “I’ve never done this before, so I guess I will know when it happens.” 

Seungmin hummed and scooped the food onto some plates. He sat, and the two of them ate wordlessly. Throughout breakfast, however, Seungmin couldn’t help but notice the way Hyunjin absentmindedly scratched at his arms, leaving the skin there looking flaky and dry. The scratching persisted as Seungmin cleaned up the mess from breakfast. “Is something wrong?” Seungmin asked, taking a seat on the couch.

“No,” Hyunjin said as he sat down next to Seungmin. “I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.”

“What are we going to do today?”

_ Changing the subject, _ Seungmin thought. He wasn’t convinced that Hyunjin was  _ fine, _ as he said, but then again, Seungmin had lied about the same thing before, and he was still around. He decided to let the subject drop, although now he understood why his own friends never let him alone when he’d told that same lie so many times. 

“We can do whatever you want,” Seungmin answered. “Is there anything you want to do?”

Hyunjin frowned. “I just told you I’ve never done this before.”

“Oh, um, right,” Seungmin said. It was up to him to think of something for him and Hyunjin to do. He realized in that moment just how long it had been since he had done. . . well, anything. He’d spent so long wrapped up in the dense fog of his own mind that he’d rarely left home, other than occasionally eating a meal at the diner, which was why Jisung wasn’t surprised to see him yesterday. But his other friends. . . he texted them, sure, but when was the last time he had actually  _ seen _ them. . . ? It had been weeks. Now, he thought, maybe they might not want to see him. He’d ignored them for so long, after all. They’d tried to get him to leave the house. He feigned illness. By now, Woojin had surely told everyone what had happened with him. Did he dare try to make amends?  _ Could _ he make amends? Was it too late?

Seungmin felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he jumped. Hyunjin. “You have a look on your face,” the siren said. “You look the same way you did yesterday. When I pulled you out of the sea.”

Seungmin just sat there, letting himself be comforted. He didn’t realize how heavy he was breathing until Hyunjin was there with his arms around him. His mind felt foggy. 

“Will you ever tell me why you jumped into the sea?” Hyunjin asked quietly.

“It’s a sad story,” Seungmin mumbled. “It’s best if I keep it to myself.”

Hyunjin situated himself so that he and Seungmin were facing each other, cross-legged and knees touching. “But the story is hurting you,” he said. “I can see it. In your eyes.”

Seungmin sighed. “Do you want to know the truth?” he asked. He hadn’t planned on telling Hyunjin, or anyone else for that matter, why he’d tried to drown, especially not so soon after it happened. However, he felt that he could trust Hyunjin. There was something comforting about the siren’s presence. He also felt that he owed Hyunjin an explanation, considering Seungmin was alive because of him. He only went on after Hyunjin nodded.

“I felt empty,” Seungmin said. “I felt like there was nothing good left, not inside me, not for me, not anywhere. I didn’t want to live in a world without any happiness.”

Hyunjin frowned. “I want to understand,” he said. Seungmin could tell he was trying his best to be reassuring.

“I’ve always been. . . more sad than most people,” Seungmin said. “It probably started when I was a kid. My mom got into drugs, so she wasn’t always able to be the parent she should have been.” Seeing Hyunjin’s confused expression, he added, “Drugs are bad things that people put into their bodies. They make you feel good for a while, but they aren’t good for you. I didn’t know that that was why my mom was so distant, always leaving me alone, so I resented her. I hated her. I think it made me more sad. 

“When I finally got away from her and on my own, I made some bad friends. I started getting high—using drugs. Things got really bad, and if it weren’t for Woojin-hyung, I don’t know what would have happened. He was the one who helped me get clean, and I stayed clean for a long time. I made some new friends, better friends—Jisung, Minho-hyung, and Jeongin. Maybe you’ll get to meet them all soon. There were still some times when I’d get sad again, but they were there for me. I even reached out to my mother a few times, just to see how she was doing. She seemed like she was fine; she told me she was clean. Told me she wanted to stay clean for the both of us.

“But then—then I found out that my mother was dead. She overdosed on heroin. I couldn’t believe it when I found out. But I didn’t tell anyone. I was doing so well, and suddenly everything was coming crashing down. I didn’t want my friends to worry about me. So I kept it to myself. I thought I could deal with it on my own. I stopped leaving the house, I had no energy for anything. I called in sick to work so I didn’t have to go. And then. . . yesterday happened. I don’t know what exactly it was that made me decide to die. But the ocean was right there, and it was the easiest way out. . . I just woke up and decided to do it. And then you saved me.”

“I saved you,” Hyunjin echoed. 

Across the room, Seungmin’s phone  _ pinged,  _ startling the both of them. Seungmin stood, picked it up, and read the message.

“It’s Jisung,” he said. “He,Minho-hyung, and Jeongin are hanging out, and they want us to come, too.” The message specifically said for Seungmin to bring his  _ cute friend  _ because, according to Jisung, they  _ looked so cute together,  _ but there was no way Seungmin was repeating that. 

“Hang out?” Hyunjin asked. “What does that mean? And why—why me too? I don’t know your friends.”

“‘Hang out’ means spending time with friends,” Seungmin explained. “And why wouldn’t you be invited too? You know Jisung; you met him yesterday. You don’t have to worry, my friends are nice. They’ll like you. Besides, you’re the one who wants to learn more about being human. What better way than by spending time with some?”

Hyunjin smiled. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s hang out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let’s hang out ;)


	6. Of Revelations and Reconciliations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is BUSY & I gotta be honest, I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out :))

****“Hey, Seungmin,” Jisung said as Seungmin and Hyunjin approached him, Minho, and Jeongin. He had asked the two of them to meet their group in the park before they went to get ice cream together. “Hyunjin, right?” he asked.

The siren nodded. “My name is Hyunjin,” he said, looking at Minho and Jeongin. He stood close by Seungmin’s side, slightly apprehensive at the idea of meeting new people when there was still so much about human interaction he had yet to learn. His grip on Seungmin’s hand was tight, and his skin was even drier than it was the previous day, which only added to Seungmin’s concern for the boy. He lightly squeezed on Hyunjin’s hand to let him know it was okay. 

Minho and Jeongin both introduced themselves, the younger of the two grinning widely throughout the entire exchange. “It’s nice to meet you,” Jeongin said. “I need less boring friends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Minho said with a glare in Jeongin’s direction.

“That  _ you guys,” _ Jeongin said, pointing a finger in Minho and Jisung’s direction, “always hang out without me. And  _ you,” _ he continued, looking at Seungmin, “this is the first time I’ve seen you in  _ so long, _ hyung. You all have left me to die, I’ve been so lonely.” 

“Christ, kid, you’re so dramatic,” Minho said. “If you’re so bored, why don’t you hang out with Woojin-hyung?”

“What about me?” Woojin came walking up to their small circle, sending a look in Seungmin’s direction. “I didn’t know you were coming today,” he said in a clipped voice.

“I didn’t know you were coming, either,” Seungmin replied. 

No one spoke; the tension in the air was heavy and showed no signs of dispelling. “Okay, looks like that’s my cue,” Jisung said, breaking the silence and pulling away from his boyfriend. “You idiots need to work things out, and I’m here to act as the mediator,” he announced, grabbing both Seungmin and Woojin by the arms. Seungmin glanced at Hyunjin, who looked slightly uncomfortable without him by his side, but who smiled when Jeongin wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Be right back, guys,” Jisung called out to them. 

He dragged Seungmin and Woojin over to a picnic table and gestured for them to sit. “I don’t know what went down between you guys,” Jisung said, “but you need to—”

“I’m sorry,” Woojin said, cutting Jisung off. 

Seungmin’s head snapped up from the spot on the ground he’d been staring at. “What?”

“I’m sorry I accused you of being high,” Woojin said slowly. “I know what you’re like when you’ve done something wrong, and that wasn’t it. I should’ve known better. But,” he added, “you still owe me an explanation for who that kid is, and that bogus story you told me.”

“What story?” Jisung asked.

“Don’t worry about it, Jisung,” Seungmin said.

“Oh, no, no,” Woojin said, folding his arms across his chest, “you dug this hole, you’re gonna climb out. Just like every other time.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “The story hasn’t changed,” he said to Woojin. “Would you prefer it if Hyunjin told you himself?”

“As long as whatever you tell me is the truth,” Woojin replied, looking dubious. 

“Seungmin!” Minho came running up to their table. “I don’t know what happened, your friend, he—he just collapsed.”

_ “What?” _

“Jeongin’s got him, but he’s asking for you,” Minho said. 

That was all Seungmin needed to hear. He jumped up, Woojin and Jisung following closely behind. Jeongin was sitting on the ground, holding onto Hyunjin. “I don’t know what happened, hyung,” Jeongin said as Seungmin knelt next to him. “He just—he started to fall, so I helped him.”

“Thank you,” Seungmin told him. “I’m glad you did.” He touched Hyunjin lightly on the arm. “Hyunjin?” he asked. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin said in a quiet, dry-sounding voice, “I—I need to go to the ocean.”

“Okay,” Seungmin said. “Shit, okay.” He looked up at Woojin. “Hyung, can you please drive us to the beach?” he asked. 

“What for?”

“I’ll explain on the way,” Seungmin said. “But we have to get Hyunjin there, _ right now.” _

“Is this about—Jesus Christ,” Woojin said. “Are you really back on your mermaid bullshit?”

_ “Hyung!” _ Seungmin yelled. “This is serious. Are you going to help me or not?”

Silence. After what felt like an eternity, Woojin sighed and said, “Fine. Let’s get him to my car.”

“Thank you, hyung,” Seungmin said. 

“Don’t thank me yet,” Woojin muttered. “I still think you’re bullshitting me.”

Seungmin returned his attention to Hyunjin. “Do you think you can stand?” he asked.

“I can try.”

Hyunjin attempted to get to his feet and nearly fell almost immediately. Seungmin grasped onto his arm to keep him from falling. Once he was standing, Seungmin helped him walk to Woojin’s car.

“We’ll meet you there,” Minho said. He, Jisung, and Jeongin were making their way towards Minho’s car. 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Jisung asked, looking worried. “Why are we going to the beach and not the hospital?”

“I promise I’ll explain everything,” Seungmin said. “I’ll see you guys at the beach.”

Woojin opened the car door for Seungmin and Hyunjin. “Thanks,” Seungmin muttered. He helped Hyunjin into the backseat and climbed in after him.

“Your skin is so dry,” he said. Hyunjin was leaning heavily against him, his head resting against Seungmin’s shoulder. He could hear the siren’s chest rattling with every breath he took. “I knew something was wrong. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know the words,” Hyunjin said simply. “I’ll be okay. I need to Change.”

“And you’ll—you’ll be back?” Seungmin asked. 

“Yes.”

The rest of the drive to the beach was spent in nervous silence. Both of Seungmin’s hands were busy: his left hand held Hyunjin’s right, and his own right hand tapped anxiously on his knee. Finally,  _ finally,  _ they reached the beach. The others were already there, waiting for them by the shore. They got out of the car, and Seungmin helped Hyunjin onto the sand. As soon as Hyunjin laid eyes on the water, his condition improved slightly; he was able to walk without leaning quite so heavily into Seungmin’s side, only holding his hand for support. When they were mere feet from the edge of the water, they stopped.

“I have to go back to the water,” Hyunjin announced, looking at Seungmin’s friends. “I will come back.”

With that, he let go of Seungmin’s hand, turned around so that his back was facing them and his front was facing the sea, and stripped.

“What the fuck?” Seungmin heard Minho mutter. His eyes were glued to the siren. He watched as Hyunjin stepped forward, walking into the water. When he was knee-deep, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at Seungmin before melting into the waves.

“What the fuck?” Woojin, this time. “What just happened?”

“Hyung, what happened to him?” Jeongin asked. 

“Oh my god, you weren’t kidding,” Woojin muttered. “You were being serious. The kid is a fucking mermaid.”

“Siren,” Seungmin corrected. “He’s a siren. Mermaids are extinct.”

“Oh, great, good to know,” Woojin said sarcastically. “At least I know you weren’t high. Or crazy.”

“I gotta be honest, Seungmin,” Jisung said, “this is pretty cool.”

“Only you would be completely unfazed by this sort of thing,” Seungmin deadpanned. 

“No, hyung, he’s right,” Jeongin said, a wide grin spreading across his face, “this is the coolest thing ever! How did you meet him?”

“Well, uh—”

“It happened here the other day,” Woojin cut in. “That’s why I thought he was getting high again. He tried to tell me the truth, and I didn’t believe him.”

Woojin looked at Seungmin, and Seungmin got the message:  _ I’ll be here for you. _ He gave Woojin a grateful smile. 

“So, what now?” Minho was asking. Before Seungmin could answer, however, something happened that made him wonder if Woojin wasn’t all that far off when he’d called him crazy a few days prior. 

_ Seungmin? Can you hear me?  _

Okay, that was definitely Hyunjin’s voice. But the siren was nowhere to be seen. 

“What the fuck?” Seungmin said aloud. “Hyunjin?”

His friends looked at him like he’d just laid an egg. “Uh, you okay, Seungmin?” Jisung asked. 

_ Don’t speak, _ came Hyunjin’s voice in his mind.  _ Just think. I’ll be able to hear you. _

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” Seungmin answered Jisung. “Just—give me a minute?”

His friends still looked slightly concerned, but they didn’t say anything, which Seungmin took as a good sign. He returned his thoughts to Hyunjin.

_ Um, okay,  _ Seungmin thought.  _ Can, uh—can you hear me? _

_ I can hear you just fine, _ Hyunjin said with a laugh.

_ How is this possible?  _ Seungmin asked.

_ I’m not really sure, _ Hyunjin replied.  _ But I do know it’s because we have a bond. _

_ Oh. _

_ I just wanted to tell you, Seungmin. . .  _

_ Tell me what? _

_ It’s just—as soon as I Changed, I could feel my father calling out to me. He’s not happy that I disappeared for so long. I need to go see him. _

_ Okay, so what does that mean? _

_ It means it might be a little longer than I thought before I can come back to the Surfaceworld. _

“No,” Seungmin said aloud.  _ Hyunjin, you’ll come back though, right? I—you promised you’d come back. _

_ And I will,  _ Hyunjin reassured him.  _ I’m just not sure how long it will take. But I  _ will  _ come back. I made a vow to help you be safe, remember? I can’t very well keep my promise from the bottom of the sea. _

_ Okay,  _ Seungmin thought.  _ As long as you come back. _

_ I will be. I’ll see you soon. _

With that, Hyunjin’s voice was gone.

Seungmin felt a hand on his shoulder. Woojin. “You okay?” he asked, worry written across his face. “What happened?”

“I h-heard Hyunjin,” Seungmin said, voice cracking. He wasn’t sure at what point he started crying. 

“What do you mean?” Minho asked. He, Jisung, and Jeongin had joined Woojin, circling around Seungmin, ready to help wherever they were needed. 

“He spoke to me,” Seungmin said, “in my mind. I don’t know how it works. He said it’s because of our bond.”

“What else did he say?” Woojin asked. “Clearly that’s not all that happened, or you wouldn’t be this upset.”

“He said he can’t come back,” Seungmin said, cursing himself internally when another tear made its way down his cheek; he hated crying in front of his friends. “At least, not right away. Something’s wrong. I think his dad is mad at him for leaving.”

“Oh, hyung,” Jeongin said, enveloping Seungmin in a hug. “He’s coming back though, right?”

Seungmin pulled himself out of the boy’s death grip and ruffled Jeongin’s hair. “That’s what he told me,” he replied. “But he doesn’t know how long it’ll be.”

“You know what’ll make you feel better?” Jisung asked. “Ice cream.”

“Han Jisung, how could you think about your stomach at a time like this?” Minho scolded him. 

“No,” Seungmin said. “He’s right. We were gonna go out for ice cream anyway. Let’s do it.”

So they did. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, talking, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. It had been a long time since Seungmin had had so much fun with his friends. 

Afterwards, Woojin took Seungmin home. When they got there, Woojin walked him inside. “Listen, Seungmin,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Seungmin blinked. “For what?”

“For being such a jerk,” Woojin said. “I shouldn’t have just left the other day. Even though now I know you weren’t high, if you were, I should’ve stuck around to help you. I wasn’t being a good friend.”

“Hyung,” Seungmin said, “you better not be crying on me.”

“God dammit, kid,” Woojin said, chuckling a little and wiping his eyes. “I can’t get anything past you, can I?”

“Nope,” Seungmin said. “And by the way: don’t you  _ dare _ allow yourself to think you haven’t been a good friend to me. You’re my  _ best  _ friend, hyung. If it weren’t for you, who knows where I’d be? Probably the cemetery.”

“Kim Seungmin, this is no time for jokes,” Woojin said, tears rolling down his face. Seungmin gave him a tight hug. “Sorry, hyung,” he said. “But you know it’s true.”

“Yeah,” Woojin said. “I do.”

“Love you, hyung.”

“Love you too, Seungmin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :,)
> 
> I’m still trying to decide who I wanna be: angst queen or fluff queen ?¿? only time will tell I suppose


	7. Under the Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a hot minute since the last update but here I am !!

__As soon as Hyunjin made the Change, his head ached with the called from his father.

He should’ve known this would happen, really. He’d never been away from home for so long before. His father, being the king of the seas, was sure to know that he’d traded his tail for a pair of legs. He knew everything that happened in his waters.

_COME HOME,_ came Poseidon’s call, resonating loudly through his mind.  _COME HOME._

_Come home._ His brother, this time.  _Come home, Hyunjin._ His friends.  _Come home. Come home. Come home._

He did as told—but not without first saying goodbye to Seungmin. He felt terrible; he’d wanted to return immediately to land. First, unfortunately, he would need to confront his father. 

He returned to the Underwater Kingdom as quickly as possible. He found the Sea King waiting for him in the throne room. 

“My son,” Poseidon said by way of greeting him. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at Hyunjin with a gaze that could pierce stone.

“Hello, Father,” Hyunjin said, bowing politely. 

“You have been away. Where?” 

“I was on land,” Hyunjin said. “I’m sorry.”

“Land?” Poseidon echoed sharply. “Why? Were you spending time near the surface again?” 

“I was. But, Father,” Hyunjin said, “there was a human—he needed help—” 

“A human?” Poseidon near-shouted, his face coloring in rage. “You know the law, son. You are never to interact with humans. You  _know_ what they did to the mermaids!”

“Yes,” Hyunjin said, “but—”

“But nothing!” the Sea King roared. “Travelling to the Surfaceworld is forbidden! You know that! Just because our species has the ability to do it doesn’t mean that it can be allowed!”

“Father,” Hyunjin said as calmly as possible, not wanting to upset Poseidon any further, “I had to help him. He—he was drowning!”

_“Good!”_ Poseidon shouted. “One less human in this world!”

Hyunjin gasped. “How could you say that?” he whispered. “You don’t even know him. You don’t know anything about humans.” 

“And I suppose you do?” the Sea King asked, glaring at his son. “I suppose you’re planning on going right back to them, aren’t you? Aren’t you? You cannot hide your intentions from me, son. Tell me the truth.”

Hyunjin gulped. He’d never seen his father this angry before. “I—I can’t leave Seungmin,” he choked out. “We have a bond.”

All the color drained from Poseidon’s face. “You can’t be serious,” he said. Hyunjin could only nod in response. He felt cold all over. He had no idea what was going to happen.  

The Sea King pinched his brow in frustration. “Get out,” he said lowly. 

“What?”

“I said,  _get out,”_ Poseidon seethed. He looked at Hyunjin with rage-filled eyes. “If you’re bonded with a—with a _human,_ then you don’t belong here. You don’t deserve to live under my ocean.” 

Hyunjin didn’t move, just stared at his father in shock. “Father—” 

“GET OUT,” Poseidon roared. “You’re no longer welcome here.” 

Hyunjin left. His brother was waiting for them just outside the throne room. He couldn’t look him in the eyes as he swam away into the open water. Hyunjin remembered the sadness he’d seen within Seungmin; he recalled that humans often cried when they were sad, but he’d never seen Seungmin do so. He wondered why. Sirens couldn’t cry. If Hyunjin were on land, he knew he would.

 

<><><><><>

 

Hyunjin swam aimlessly. He could still feel his father’s rage, could still hear the anger in his voice. He didn’t know what to do. Yes, he wanted to go back to see Seungmin, but he missed his friends under the sea. He wanted to at least be able to see them before he had to leave. 

“Lost, young one?” asked a voice from behind Hyunjin, startling him. He turned around to find a siren with long, dark hair and bright blue eyes staring at him. 

“Kymopoleia,” he said cautiously. “It’s. . . a pleasure to see you.”

“Is it, Hwang Hyunjin, son of Poseidon?” she asked, an unfeeling smile growing on her face, revealing rows of sharp white teeth. Kymopoleia was a sea witch—the sea witch, the one Hyunjin and all the other young sirens had always been warned to stay away from. She had powers most sirens couldn’t begin to understand. Hyunjin had grown up listening to stories about the immortal sea witch who could and would do anything to get her way. Rumors stated that she had the ability to take control of other sirens’ minds, yet no one knew how. Oftentimes when sirens committed a crime, it turned out to be the work of Kymopoleia. She’d been banished from the Underwater Kingdom because of her own crimes against sirens as a whole. Additionally, she could create violent storms, just for the sake of causing destruction and killing humans. While Poseidon hated humans, he never sought them out for the sole purpose of seeing them die.  

“I hear you’ve been banished,” Kymopoleia said, her voice dripping with sympathy. Hyunjin thought her voice was beautiful. “I know what that’s like. We’re really the same, you and I. Both cast away by a man who was supposed to care for us.”

“I. . . suppose,” Hyunjin said. His mind was slightly foggy. He wanted nothing more than to listen to Kymopoleia’s voice. “Yes,” he said, more sure of himself this time, “we are similar, aren’t we?”

The sea witch flashed a sweet smile and swam over to him, placing a milky white hand on his arm. “We are,” she said knowingly, her sweet voice washing over him. “Poseidon betrayed us both.”

Hyunjin nodded. “He banished me because I saved a human,” he said.

“Ah,” Kymopoleia said dreamily, “humans. I truly don’t understand your father’s aversion to them. Such gentle creatures.”

“But _you_ kill humans,” Hyunjin said with a frown; even through the power of the sea witch’s voice, he knew that Kymopoleia wasn’t exactly on friendly terms with humans.  

“Oh, Hyunjin,” she said, smiling, “only the bad ones. The ones who deserve to die. The ones who killed the mermaids.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said. “That makes sense.”

“We’ve both been treated so unfairly,” the sea witch said. “I get banished for trying to help sirenkind, and you for falling in love.”

Hyunjin’s face heated up at Kymopoleia’s words. “Don’t try to deny it,” she said with a laugh. “It’s okay. In fact, I think I know a way that we can help each other.” 

Hyunjin perked up at that. “How?”

Kymopoleia smiled. “Well,” she said, “I can give you a spell that will allow you to stay on land for as long as you want. You can come back to the water whenever you want, but you won’t need to worry about pesky things like your skin drying out. I’m sure that happened to you the first time, right?” Hyunjin nodded. “Exactly,” the sea witch went on. “And in return. . . all you have to do is pledge your allegiance to me.”

Hyunjin hesitated. A quiet voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him to stop even considering pledging allegiance to the worst criminal in all the depths of the sea, but an even louder voice, one that mingled with Kymopoleia’s own, urged him to do it. “That’s it?” he asked.  

“That’s it,” Kymopoleia confirmed. “It’s very simple. In fact, I’ll complete my half of the bargain first.” She cupped her hands in front of Hyunjin’s face and muttered a gentle, lilting incantation. “There,” she said when she was done. “Now you can come and go between the ocean and the Surfaceworld as you please, and it won’t matter how long you stay there before you come back.” She gave him another beautiful smile. Suddenly, her teeth didn’t seem quite so sharp.

“Thank you,” Hyunjin said. 

“You’re very welcome, my dear,” the sea witch said. “Now, about your half of the bargain. . .”

“What do you need me to do?”

Kymopoleia smiled. “All you need to do,” she said, voice sickly sweet, “is tell me that your allegiance is with me.” She took both of his hands in hers. “Look me in the eyes and say the words,” she said.  

Hyunjin did as told. The sea witch’s eyes seemed to glow even brighter as he looked into them. His instincts were telling him to swim far, far away, but still, as if out of control of his own voice, he said, “My allegiance is with you, Kymopoleia.”  

The sea witch smiled. “The deed is done,” she said. She left, leaving Hyunjin feeling cold and like he’d just woken up from a hundred years’ sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t help it, I had to throw another Percy Jackson reference in there. if you got it, then congratulations, we’re friends now


	8. The Siren’s Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a long time coming but here we have it folks, the long awaited return of one hwang hyunjin

Seungmin hadn’t realized when or how he’d grown so attached to Hyunjin, but the days spent without him were rough.

He was surprised at how much he missed the siren. He missed the way Hyunjin seemed so curious about everything around him. He missed the way Hyunjin could practically read his mind when he was in a bad mood. He even missed the way Hyunjin would insist on holding his hand and generally cling to his side.

Most of all, Seungmin thought, he missed the sound of Hyunjin’s voice.

He wasn’t quite sure why. But now that Hyunjin was gone, he couldn’t get the sound of his voice out of his head. His chest felt hollow in its absence. He’d tried in vain to speak to Hyunjin in his mind, the way they’d done before the siren had left, but it was to no avail. It all had to do with siren magic, Seungmin supposed.

“But isn’t it supposed to be the sound of his _singing_  voice that you can’t get out of your head?” Jisung asked when Seungmin confessed to him how much he missed the siren on the fifth day of Hyunjin’s absence. “All the myths just talk about the sirens’ _song,_ not their regular talking voice.”

I don’t know,” Seungmin said with a sigh. “I just miss him.”

“I know,” Jisung said sympathetically. “We all know.” He pulled Seungmin into a tight, comforting hug.

“Which is why everyone’s coming over for a sleepover tonight.”

Seungmin pulled away from Jisung’s embrace and blinked at him. “What?”

Jisung grinned. “They’ll be here soon,” he said.

“Well, I hope they’re not hungry, because I barely have enough food around here to feed myself,” Seungmin deadpanned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“It’s all taken care of,” Jisung promised.

As if on cue, Seungmin heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps outside of his front door. “Ah, perfect timing,” Jisung said, jumping up to let them in. Jeongin, Minho, and Woojin shoved their way inside. Minho carried an armful of 2-liter soda bottles; Jeongin carried two shopping bags, presumably filled with snacks; and Woojin carried three pizza boxes.

“Hey, kid,” Minho said to Seungmin with a smile. “We thought you could use some company.”

“You mean _I_ thought,” Jisung shot back. “Seungmin, don’t listen to Minho-hyung’s tomfoolery. This whole thing was _all my idea.”_

“I believe you,” Seungmin said with a laugh.

Jeongin quickly set the grocery bags that he was carrying onto the table and tackled Seungmin in a hug immediately thereafter, nearly knocking the both of them onto the ground. “It’s good to see you, hyung,” Jeongin said.

“Good to see you too,” Seungmin replied.

“Innie, let him breathe,” Woojin chided. Jeongin let go of Seungmin with a sheepish smile before Woojin took his turn at giving Seungmin a hug.

“How you holding up?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” Seungmin said. “I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.”

“He’ll be back.”

“I know, but. . .” Seungmin trailed off. “It’s almost been a week, hyung. I can’t help worrying a little.”

“He said he’d come back, didn’t he?” said Minho from the kitchen table, where Jisung was helping him get out plates for the pizza. “If he said he’d come back, then he’s going to come back.”

Seungmin nodded. “Thanks, Minho-hyung,” he said.

“Now, let’s eat,” Jisung said.

Minho rolled his eyes and smacked his boyfriend lightly on the arm. The five of them ate, and Seungmin realized how long it had been since they had all gathered here like this. _And it’s all because of Hyunjin,_ Seungmin thought.

After they ate, they decided to watch a movie. Jisung suggested they watch _The Little Mermaid,_ earning him another smack and a look of shock from Minho and a barrage of yelling from Woojin and Jeongin.

_“Han Jisung, what are you thinking?”_

_“Hyung, that’s so insensitive!”_

Seungmin just laughed, both at his friends’ antics and at the absurdity of his own situation. It felt so good to be able to laugh.

“Yeah, that’s maybe not the best movie to watch right now,” he said, still laughing. “Jisungie, there _has_ to be another Disney movie we can watch.”

“Sorry, Minnie,” Jisung mumbled.

“It’s fine.” Seungmin flopped down on the couch next to Jisung and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. “You’ve always been a little dumb; what kind of friend would I be if I started caring about that now?”

_“Hey!”_

 

<><><><><>

 

It was after midnight, and Seungmin was the only one still awake.

They’d ended up watching _101 Dalmatians._ Before the movie was halfway over, both Woojin and Minho had fallen asleep.

“Grandpas,” Jeongin had whispered, though his own eyelids appeared to be growing heavy. He was sitting on Seungmin’s other side and had taken to clinging onto his arm. Jisung, entranced by the movie, paid them no mind.

“Sleep if you’re tired, Innie,” Seungmin told him.

“What about you, hyung?”

Seungmin smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I have a feeling it’ll be awhile before I fall asleep,” he admitted, “but I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” Jeongin said before snuggling closer into Seungmin’s side. Before long, both he and Jisung were asleep, leaving Seungmin the lone person yet to drift off. He was tired, sure; but for the life of him, he couldn’t fall asleep.

That had been an hour ago.

Seungmin didn’t want to move; he didn’t want to jostle Jisung or Jeongin and wake them up, leaving him with no choice but to sit there. And with nothing else to do, Seungmin had plenty of time to think.

He was unwilling to admit it at first, but Seungmin was glad that Hyunjin saved him from drowning that day. Thinking back, he wasn’t even sure why he wanted to in the first place. He had a good life, good friends. . . everyone in his life cared about him so much. None of them would’ve came to spend time with him today if they didn’t care about him. He wished he’d realized that sooner. Seungmin was grateful for his friends.

And then there was Hyunjin himself. The siren had no reason to pull him out of the water that day, yet he still did. Someone who had never met him before cared enough to save his life. And what’s more, he’d stuck around afterwards to make sure Seungmin would stay okay. Just the thought made Seungmin’s heart swell. In the beginning, he hadn’t been as nice to Hyunjin as he probably should have been. He vowed to himself that he would be a better friend when Hyunjin returned.

_You have been a good friend, Seungmin._

Seungmin jumped, causing Jeongin to stir. That was definitely Hyunjin’s voice in his head. Suddenly, he felt wide awake.

“Wha. . . ?” Jeongin said sleepily.

“Shh,” Seungmin said gently. He did his best to stand from his seat on the couch without bothering Jeongin any more than was necessary. “Everything’s okay, Jeonginnie. Just go back to sleep, okay?”

Jeongin nodded and mumbled a barely audible “okay” before slumping over and resting his head in Jisung’s lap.

_Seungmin?_ he heard in his mind. _Are you there?_

_I’m here,_ Seungmin thought. _I’m here, Hyunjin. Where are you?_

_I’m near the shore. I can come back now. I’ll wait for you to get  here before I Change._

Seungmin’s heart was hammering. He was absolutely elated. _I’ll bring you some clothes,_ he thought. _And a towel. I’ll be there in ten minutes. I’ll see you soon._

_See you soon, Seungmin._

 

<><><><><>

 

Seungmin stood on the beach with his backpack filled with clothes and a towel for Hyunjin over his shoulder. He stared at the water before him. Somewhere out there was Hyunjin.

Before he’d left, he’d left a note for his friends telling them not to worry and explaining the situation in case any of them woke up before he got back, which was doubtful, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

_Okay,_ he heard in his mind, _I’m ready to Change. You’re on the beach, right?_

_Yeah,_ Seungmin replied. _How do you know that?_

_I can feel you._

Seungmin’s eyes widened, although he wasn’t entirely surprised. Before Hyunjin had left, he’d mentioned that they were able to communicate in this way due to a bond they shared; maybe this was another extension of that bond. Additionally, now that he thought about it, maybe the strange tug he’d felt in his gut from the moment he’d set foot onto the sand was more than just anticipation for the siren’s return.

He saw some strange rippling in the water and knew instantly that it was Hyunjin. His suspicions were confirmed mere seconds later when the boy’s head popped above the surface of the water. Seungmin quickly got the towel out of his backpack and handed it to Hyunjin as he stumbled onto the shore. He took it gratefully and wrapped it around himself.

“Thank you,” he said, smiling.

“Of course,” Seungmin said without hesitation. “Hyunjin?”

“Yes, Seungmin?”

“I missed you.”

Hyunjin shivered; Seungmin handed him the change of clothes he’d brought him. “I missed you, too,” the siren said.

Hyunjin dressed and took Seungmin’s hand in his. “Let’s go home,” he said, pressing into Seungmin’s side.

Seungmin smiled. He felt warm. “Okay.”

The two of them walked back to the apartment in comfortable silence. “We have to be quiet,” Seungmin said as they walked inside. “Everyone came over for a sleepover today.”

“Sleepover?” Hyunjin whispered.

“When your friends come to spend the night at your house,” Seungmin explained as quietly as possible. “Come on, let’s go where we won’t bother them.”

He led Hyunjin into his bedroom and closed the door quietly behind them. “Okay,” he said, “we can talk now.”

“You look tired,” Hyunjin said. “It’s late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Seungmin said. “But I’m not—”

“You should rest,” Hyunjin interrupted. “We have all the time in the world to talk. You look tired, Seungmin.”

Seungmin sighed. “I guess I’m a little sleepy,” he relented. “You’ll. . . you’ll stay with me?”

“Of course,” Hyunjin said. He smiled.

Seungmin crawled into bed; Hyunjin quickly pressed into his side, taking his hand. Seungmin felt a pleasant warmth filling his body. The siren smelled like the sea. In their proximity, Seungmin could feel Hyunjin’s steady heartbeat, which relaxed him and made his eyelids grow heavy for the first time all night. The cavity in Seungmin’s chest that had been there for five days in Hyunjin’s absence was filled at last.

Hyunjin sighed. “I’m happy,” he said simply, yawning.

“You’re tired, too,” Seungmin said accusatorily, a sleepy smile spreading across his face.

“Yes,” Hyunjin said, “but mostly I’m happy.”

Seungmin looked Hyunjin in the eyes. “I’m glad you’re back, Hyunjinnie. I missed you so much.”

The siren beamed and his eyes shone. “I’m glad I’m back, too,” he said quietly.

Seungmin rested his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder with a yawn. The siren reached up and carded his fingers through Seungmin’s hair. Seungmin drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep to the gentle pulse of Hyunjin’s heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> s o f t


	9. Part of Your World (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S BEEN A HOT MINUTE BUT IM BACK  
> I’m like 90% sure I said that the last time I updated this, but there’s a silver lining: THIS time I actually have the plot for the rest of this fic outlined, so hopefully I will be more motivated to finish it :))

“Look, hyung. Look how cute they are!”

Seungmin groaned and cracked his eyelids open. Jisung was standing in his doorway, clinging onto Minho, who still looked half-asleep.

“Only you would have the audacity to be this energized before noon,” Seungmin deadpanned.

Hyunjin shifted next to him, fisting his hands in the material of Seungmin’s shirt. “Good morning,” he mumbled sleepily. He sat up, pulling Seungmin up with him. Seungmin rubbed his eyes with his right hand, as Hyunjin was playing with the fingers on his left. “Morning, Jinnie,” Seungmin said groggily.

 _“So_ cute,” Jisung cooed.

“Guys?” Jeongin said from the hallway behind Jisung and Minho. “What’s going—” He gasped and pushed his way past the two in the doorway. “Hyunjin!” he exclaimed, bounding his way over and tackling the siren in a hug.

“Hello, Jeongin,” Hyunjin said with a laugh.

“I was worried about you,” Jeongin said. “When did you get back?”

“Last night,” Hyunjin said, ruffling Jeongin’s hair. “You were sleeping, so I couldn’t say hello. I’m glad I’m back, though.”

“I’m glad you’re back, too,” Jeongin said with a smile. He looked at Seungmin. “What do you have for breakfast, hyung? I’m starving.”

“Absolutely nothing,” Seungmin deadpanned. “We’d be better off going and buying food.”

“We should go to the diner,” Jisung suggested. “I want pancakes.”

“Of course you do,” Minho said; although he sounded annoyed, he looked at Jisung with an adoring expression on his face.

“Fine with me,” Seungmin said with a shrug. “I can pay since you guys provided food last night. Someone go wake Woojin-hyung up, I need to get dressed.”

Jisung, Minho, and Jeongin filed out of the room, leaving Seungmin alone with Hyunjin still sitting next to him. The siren let out a sigh.

“You okay?” Seungmin asked, glancing at Hyunjin; he merely smiled. “Yes,” he said. “I’m just happy. I missed you, Seungmin.”

Seungmin’s face felt warm. “I missed you, too, Hyunjin,” he said. “More than I thought I would have.”

“How long was I gone?” Hyunjin asked. “Time. . . it’s different in the ocean. Here, in the Surfaceworld, it’s easier to tell how much time has passed.”

Seungmin hummed. “Five days,” he said.

Hyunjin’s eyes widened. “Five days. . .” he mused. “No wonder my father was so upset.” A dark look flashed in Hyunjin’s eyes at the mention of the Sea King. He fidgeted uncomfortably with his fingers; Seungmin took him by the hand and squeezed it lightly.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Seungmin said.

“It’s—hard. Hard to explain,” Hyunjin said.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Seungmin said. “But you’ve listened to me plenty of times. The least I could do is return the favor, Hyunjin. Tell me whatever you can, if you want.”

“Okay.” The siren’s expression was thankful. “As soon as I Changed, I could hear my father’s voice. I went home. He asked where I was, and I told him I was here, in the Surfaceworld, with you. He. . . he doesn’t like humans very much.” He broke eye contact, choosing instead to look down at their joined hands. “He was so angry, Seungminnie. I’ve never seen him that angry before.”

Seungmin rubbed comforting circles with his thumb into the back of Hyunjin’s hand. “What happened next?”

“He—he sent me away. Banished me. I can’t go home. Oh, my—” He looked at Seungmin with wide, panicked eyes. “I can’t ever go back home.”

The siren drew heavy breaths, and his hand trembled in Seungmin’s. “Hey, hey,” Seungmin said, alarmed, “it’s okay, Hyunjinnie.” He pulled the siren into a tight embrace and pressed a kiss to his forehead when huge tears began rolling down Hyunjin’s cheeks. “It’s okay, you’re okay,” he said.

“I can’t go home.”

“Home can be wherever you want it to be,” Seungmin said. “Here, even.”

Hyunjin looked up at him with big eyes. Seungmin’s heart broke a little at the sight of his tear-tracked cheeks. “Really?” the siren asked in a small voice.

“Really.”

Seungmin swore he never saw Hyunjin look happier than he did right then. He smiled so widely there was no chance in hell it didn’t hurt his cheeks. “Thank you to the bottom of the sea, Seungminnie,” he said.

“Of course,” Seungmin said softly. “Now, let’s get going. They’re probably all waiting for us.”

 

<><><><><>

 

Seungmin’s friends were a rambunctious bunch.

He didn’t know how he never realized it. Maybe it was due to the fact that he could see Hyunjin’s slight discomfort and general lack of understanding as to what was going on, but now he thought he understood Woojin’s frustrations when the rest of their friends acted a little. . . childish.

Like now, for example. The six of them were walking to the diner. Minho, Jisung, and Jeongin decided to have a screaming match.

Hyunjin flinched every time. And every time, Seungmin just squeezed his hand reassuringly and gave him a small smile. He looked bewildered. “Sorry,” Seungmin said. “They’re annoying, I know. They do weird stuff like this all the time.”

“Not annoying,” Hyunjin said. “Just confusing.”

“Well, _I_ think it’s annoying,” Woojin grumbled. “Will you idiots knock it off?” he demanded at the trio, moments before Jeongin could let out what Seungmin could only assume would have been an ear-piercing screech. “You’re giving me a headache.”

“Sorry, hyung,” the three of them said somewhat simultaneously. Not one of them looked sorry.

They kept pestering—Woojin and each other—until the diner was in view. “Oh, thank fuck,” Woojin groaned. “Please act like decent human beings inside, kids.”

“Yes, dad,” Jeongin said with a grin. Woojin just rolled his eyes.

Once inside, they were seated rather quickly—they were among the only people in the diner, for which Seungmin was grateful; he remembered how the dinner crowd had made Hyunjin anxious the last time they were here. All six of them ate pancakes. Hyunjin looked confused when his plate was set in front of him; but he watched as Jisung, who was sitting opposite him at the table, poured an ungodly amount of maple syrup onto his stack, and promptly copied him, looking at Seungmin with a proud smile on his face. Seungmin just chuckled and ate his own food (with the _proper_ amount of syrup, thank you very much).

“So, Hyunjin,” Jisung asked around a mouthful of his food, “how was the ocean?”

“God, Jisung, could you please try to have _some_ semblance of manners?” Minho said, looking disgusted when syrup dripped down his boyfriend’s chin.

Hyunjin giggled. “The ocean was okay. I saw my father.” He didn’t immediately elaborate further. Seungmin could tell that whatever had happened in the five days he was gone had really shaken Hyunjin up. He hoped that he could make Hyunjin feel better the way Hyunjin had been able to do for him.

“What’s it like?” Woojin asked, breaking the momentary silence. “Being a siren, I mean. What do you do on a normal day?”

“Well,” Hyunjin said, “I already told this to Seungminnie, but it’s harder to tell time in the ocean than it is in the Surfaceworld. But normally, when I wake up, I spend a lot of my time hunting. There’s only a few sirens in charge of feeding everyone, and I am one of them.” There was a proud glint in the siren’s eyes. “I also spend some of my time working with my father,” he added.

“What for?” Jeongin asked, eyes wide and curious.

“Preparing for when it is my turn to take his place as the Sea King,” Hyunjin said.

“Shit,” Seungmin said in awe, “you never told me that.”

“So does that make you a prince?” Minho asked, to which Hyunjin nodded.

“I _knew_ you were cool,” Jisung said.

“That is _so_ cool,” Jeongin said with a massive grin. “Is there really an entire kingdom under the sea? What’s it like? How have people never found it before?”

“Jesus, don’t overwhelm him, Innie,” Seungmin said; though he was curious, too, he didn’t want Hyunjin to freak out again. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

“It’s okay,” Hyunjin said. “I. . . I like talking about home.” He smiled and looked at Jeongin. “The Underwater Kingdom is beautiful,” he said with a wistful look on his face. “It’s so big—bigger than any place I’ve seen here. And my father, Poseidon—he has his ways of keeping people out.”

“Holy shit,” Minho said. “Hang on. Your dad is Poseidon? Like the Greek guy?”

Hyunjin looked puzzled. “You know him?” he asked, frowning.

“Lots of people do,” Woojin said. “There’s myths about him—stories that have been around for thousands of years. That’s. . . _holy_ shit, this is so weird.”

Seungmin was unfazed—after all, what was a little more weirdness in his life? He smiled a genuine, happy smile. He knew it might not permanent; he knew that Hyunjin might not be able to stay forever. There may come a day when he had to leave. But for now, Seungmin was happy.

For now, Seungmin was content with enjoying the time he had with all of the people who he knew cared about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))


	10. Penultimate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heck yeah, here we go
> 
> I’ve done almost no proofreading on this chapter, so if there’s any mistakes I’ll fix them later lmao

Five days had passed since Hyunjin had returned from the sea. The siren had made impressive growth in terms of his knowledge of life on land—the Surfaceworld, as he called it—and in terms of his ability to convey his thoughts in a human language.

One of the more difficult aspects of human life to explain was, Seungmin found, the idea of having a job. Or, more accurately, the idea of getting paid to do one’s job. He knew that Hyunjin had duties he was responsible for in the ocean, but the siren had a difficult time understanding the need for monetary compensation for one’s work.

“But why?” Hyunjin had asked for probably the third time when Seungmin tried to explain it to him.

“We have to make money,” Seungmin explained patiently. “Everything costs money. We have to be able to pay for the things we need.”

“That’s stupid,” Hyunjin said, folding his arms across his chest. “If you need something you should just be able to get it. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Not a lot of things do,” Seungmin had said.

During the times when Seungmin had to work, his friends took turns spending time with Hyunjin. Woojin volunteered the most out of all of them (Jeongin being a close second—that kid adored Hyunjin); he suspected his friend was still trying to make it up to Seungmin for the way he’d acted when Hyunjin had first come into his life. He was grateful for Woojin’s willingness to help, and he was glad to see that he and Hyunjin got along quite well. Everyone who spent time alone with Hyunjin—especially Jisung—always told Seungmin that “Hyunjin literally never shuts up about you when you’re not around. If you’re away from him for too long I seriously think he might keel over dead.”

Thankfully, however, it was the weekend, and neither Seungmin nor any of his friends had to be anywhere for the next two days. Jisung had invited them all over to his family’s new beach house for the weekend—Seungmin had never been there before, so he had no idea what to expect; Jisung had said that his parents were going to be out of town, so the six of them would have the place to themselves.

Hyunjin and Seungmin were currently getting ready to leave. “We really need to get you some clothes of your own,” Seungmin commented as he stuffed a hodgepodge of shirts, hoodies, and pants into the duffel bag they were bringing with them.

“I suppose,” Hyunjin said. “But I like your things. They’re comfy.”

“Well, uh,” Seungmin stuttered, “you can still wear some of my stuff if you want. But it’ll be nice to have your own things.”

Hyunjin just shrugged as Seungmin zipped the bag closed. “What now?” the siren asked.

“Now,” Seungmin said, “we go to the store. Jisung put us in charge of bringing snacks.”

 

<><><><><>

 

Picking out snacks turned out to be harder than Seungmin would’ve ever dreamed possible.

It was all Hyunjin’s fault, really. Since his experience of life among humans was still fairly new, everything was interesting and exciting to him.

Including the snack aisle at the grocery store.

“How the hell are you supposed to make any decisions?” Hyunjin asked in response to Seungmin telling him to pick out some candy. He owed Hyunjin’s newfound curse word vocabulary to Minho.

“Well, Jisung likes Skittles,” Seungmin said. “Woojin-hyung’ll want Red Vines. Minho likes Twix, and Jeongin will eat pretty much anything. Other than that, you can just pick out whatever you want.”

“What about you?”

Seungmin blinked. “What?”

“What kind of candy do you like, Seungmin?” Hyunjin asked. “You already said what everyone else likes. What about you?”

“Oh,” Seungmin said. “Uh, anything with chocolate, really. I’m not picky.”

That seemed to be sufficient enough an answer for Hyunjin; the siren selected two giant bags of M&M’s and Kit Kats, respectively, in addition to the candy requested by their friends. They also bought a healthy amount of various salty snacks, ranging from pretzels to popcorn. When everything was paid for, Seungmin and Hyunjin drove to Jisung’s, Google Mapping the way there.

“Holy fuck, this place is huge,” Seungmin said when they arrived. It looked exactly like something from a postcard: tall; made from sanded white wood; a deck wrapped around the entirety of the building; tall, wide windows covered nearly every surface on the outside of the house. The front of the house faced the road, and the back faced the ocean; the beach was the backyard. He and Hyunjin got out of the car and walked up the wooden stairs to the front door.

“Hey, kids,” Woojin said when they walked inside.

“What did you bring for snacks?” Jisung asked.

Seungmin rolled his eyes, setting the shopping bags on the kitchen island. Hyunjin carried their shared duffel bag. “We picked everyone’s favorites,” Hyunjin answered with a smile when Seungmin didn’t respond.

“Hyunjinnie!” Jeongin said, jumping up from his seat on the couch and running into the kitchen. He beamed at the siren, who giggled and opened his arms for a hug, which Jeongin gladly accepted.

“Hello to you too, Jeongin,” Seungmin deadpanned.

“Oh, yeah,” Jeongin said sheepishly. “Hi.” He stepped away from Hyunjin and wrapped his arms around Seungmin. “Sorry. It’s good to see you.”

Seungmin just grinned and ruffled Jeongin’s hair. “I’m not mad. I like him too,” Seungmin said.

“Oh, tea?” Minho said, walking into the kitchen at the sound of all the sudden commotion. “Who likes who, now?”

“Seungminnie-hyung likes Hyunjinnie,” Jeongin replied matter-of-factly.

Seungmin could feel his face growing red. He avoided Hyunjin’s eyes.

“Aw, look at him,” Minho said, reaching over to pinch Seungmin’s cheek; Seungmin slapped his hand away. “He’s blushing.”

“I fucking _knew_ this would happen,” Jisung crowed, grabbing onto Minho’s arm and squealing. “You saw them that morning, hyung. _You_ know what I’m talking about. They’re so cute.”

“They’ve got a point, Seungmin,” Woojin said, grinning. “You guys are very. . . couple-y.”

Poor Hyunjin very obviously had no idea what they were talking about. He had set the duffel bag on the floor and taken to clinging to Seungmin’s arm, a habit that had taken form stemming from whenever Hyunjin was confused or uncomfortable. Seungmin’s face was burning. He glanced over to meet Hyunjin’s eyes and found the siren staring at him with a slightly confused, slightly worried expression.

“Seungmin?” Hyunjin said. “I don’t get it. Why. . . ? Of course you like me, right? We’re friends, aren’t we, Seungminnie?”

Seungmin’s heart stuttered at how sad Hyunjin looked. “I—of _course_ I like you, Hyunjinnie. These _idiots,”_ he said, glaring at his friends, “are just—”

“Completely and absolutely right?”

“Only pointing out the obvious?”

Jisung and Jeongin spoke at the same time. “I will not hesitate to light your beds on fire tonight,” Seungmin snarled.

“Touchy,” Minho muttered.

“You will do nothing of the sort,” Woojin said, frowning at Seungmin.

“Seungmin, seriously,” Hyunjin said, “I have no idea what’s going on here.”

“Don’t worry too much, Hyunjin,” Minho said, “we’re just teasing him.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin said dubiously.

“It's okay, Hyunjinnie,” Jeongin said. “There's nothing wrong. We're just joking around.”

“But I don't _get it,”_ Hyunjin said, looking at Seungmin in desperation.

“Tell you later, Jinnie,” Seungmin muttered. “Jisung, stop being a rat and show us around?”

“Oh, yeah!” Jisung said, his face breaking out in a grin. “I almost forgot. You guys still need the grand tour!” He gestured for Hyunjin and Seungmin to follow him out of the kitchen. He led them through the living room, which was impressively spacious; next he took them to the game room, in which Jisung had stored his large video game collection and which was right across the hall from the fancy, expensive-looking bathroom; finally, he led them up a flight of stairs to where the bedrooms were.

“You and Hyunjin can share a room, Seungmin,” Jisung said as the three of them walked down the hall. “I’m sharing with Minho-hyung, obviously. Jeongin wanted his own room because he’s spoiled as shit, and Woojin-hyung gets his own room because, in his words, ‘No one can handle sharing a room with that clingy little leech.’ Anyways, here it is.” He stopped in front of the room at the end of the hall. “We’re gonna be in the game room, probably for a while. Come down whenever.” With that, Jisung walked away, leaving Hyunjin and Seungmin alone.

“Okay,” Seungmin muttered under his breath as soon as Jisung was gone. “Okay.” He took a deep breath and sat down on the corner of the bed. Hyunjin placed the duffel bag he was carrying on the desk on the other side of the room before returning to Seungmin’s side.

“Seungminnie?” he asked, sitting down next to Seungmin. Hyunjin took him by the hand; Seungmin couldn’t help noticing the way Hyunjin’s fingers barely poked out of the sleeves of his white hoodie. “What’s wrong?” the siren asked.

Seungmin took a few deep breaths before answering. “I’m—I’m fine,” he managed. “Let’s just, um, let’s just go back downstairs before they send someone back up here after us.”

“Okay,” Hyunjin said, unconvinced. “Just remember, Seungmin. . . I’m here to keep you safe. You’ve told me things about yourself when you weren’t feeling well before. You can do it again.”

Seungmin looked Hyunjin in the eyes and gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand slightly. “I know, Hyunjin,” he said. “Thanks. I’ll tell you later if you want, okay?”

“Okay,” Hyunjin said, smiling. “Let’s go.”

 

<><><><><>

 

Seungmin was angry.

He and Hyunjin had been roped into playing Uno with everyone the minute they walked into the game room. They played six rounds, and every time, Seungmin lost.

The winner?

Hwang Hyunjin. Every single time.

“Hyunjin,” Minho asked in incredulity, “are you sure you’ve never played this game before?”

“Card games don’t exactly work underwater,” Hyunjin deadpanned, earning a giggle from Jisung.

“Then how are you so good. . . ?”

“I’m a fast learner,” Hyunjin said. “Plus, Jeongin’s not very good at hiding his cards.”

“Hey!”

“And Woojin’s not very good at shuffling.”

_“Hey!”_

Seungmin laughed at the look of pure indignation on Woojin’s face. Hyunjin was beaming; it was a nice sight to see considering at the beginning of the game Hyunjin was disappointed to realize he wouldn’t be able to hold Seungmin’s hand, as he’d grown so accustomed to, and hold his cards at the same time. His mood had improved significantly once he won the first round, of course. Now the siren was leaning into Seungmin’s side since Seungmin had opted out of participating in the seventh round, choosing to merely observe his friends’ demise.

“God _fucking_ dammit,” Jisung cursed when Woojin played yet another Draw Four card. “You’re doing that on _purpose,_ hyung.”

“Damn right I am,” Woojin said. “That’s the entire point of the game.”

“Yeah, but you could’ve waited until someone played a Reverse card. That way you could’ve given that Draw Four to Jeongin.”

“Just face it,” Jeongin said, grinning brightly, “Woojin-hyung loves me more.”

“So does everyone,” Minho deadpanned.

“Are you serious right now?” Jisung exclaimed. “Even my own boyfriend?” He threw his head down on the table dramatically. “Oh, the despair,” he groaned.

They carried on in such a manner throughout the evening. When Hyunjin won the next three rounds, they decided to give up. By that time, everyone had given up on their endeavors of beating him.

“I’m calling it,” Minho said. “Jisungie, do you wanna play Mario Kart?”

“You know I do.”

“I’m playing too!” Jeongin announced, jumping up and joining Minho and Jisung on the couch in front of the television.

“I, for one, am going to bed,” Woojin said. “It’s late.”

“And you’re old,” Jisung shot back.

“Just don’t stay up too late,” Woojin said in exasperation. “And don’t make too much noise.”

“No problem, hyung,” the three of them answered simultaneously.

Hyunjin tugged on Seungmin’s arm. “Seungminnie,” he said quietly, “let’s sleep.”

Seungmin nodded. “Okay,” he said. “See you in the morning, guys,” he said to the trio on the couch before he and Hyunjin left the room to make their way back upstairs.

Hyunjin sat down on the bed and fixed Seungmin with a look  immediately upon entering the room. “Now,” he said, “you’re going to tell me what was wrong earlier.”

Seungmin felt his pulse quicken at the mere mention of the day’s previous conversation. “Do I have to?” he whined.

“Yes,” Hyunjin replied. He patted the bed next to him; Seungmin complied easily, sitting down next to the siren. “You were upset, Seungminnie,” Hyunjin said. “I don’t like seeing you upset.”

“I know, Hyunjinnie,” Seungmin said. “I don’t even know what happened, honestly. They tease me all the time, but. . .”

“They were teasing you for ‘liking’ me,” Hyunjin cut in. “I know they were joking, but—is it true? Do you not like me?” Hyunjin’s eyes searched Seungmin’s pleadingly for an answer. Seungmin’s heart leapt into his throat at the sight.

“Hyunjinnie,” Seungmin said, gripping Hyunjin’s hand firmly, “that’s not what they meant.”

“Then what _did_ they mean?”

“They meant—” Seungmin could barely look Hyunjin in the eyes as he said, “They meant that I like you as more than a friend.”

Hyunjin smiled. “I know,” he said.

“Wha—wait, w-what?” Seungmin spluttered, his face growing warm and his heart leaping into his throat. “What do you mean?”

“Minho and Jisung and I talked about it the last time I spent the day with them,” Hyunjin said. “They said that’s why they’re boyfriends, because they liked each other as more than just friends. I can’t remember what they said it was called, though—something with a C. . .”

“Crush,” Seungmin said numbly. “It’s called a crush.”

“A crush,” Hyunjin echoed softly. “When you like someone, as more than a friend.” He looked Seungmin fervently in the eyes before leaning forward and pressing the softest of kisses onto Seungmin’s cheek. Seungmin blinked at him, completely stunned. “Something else I’ve learned,” Hyunjin explained. “I saw Minho do it to Jisung. His face didn’t turn as pink as yours, though.”

“Um,” Seungmin said. Hyunjin’s face was inches from his own. Hyunjin smiled softly. “I can see it in your eyes, Seungminnie,” the siren whispered.

Hyunjin’s words worked like the flick of a switch. Seungmin leaned forward and finally, _finally,_ kissed Hyunjin.

He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to do this before it happened. His heart felt like it was melting at the way Hyunjin gripped his hand tightly as they kissed. He brought a hand up to the siren’s cheek, at which point Hyunjin broke away. “I’m so happy,” he said with a giggle. “Even—even happier than when I came back. And I was so happy then.”

“Good,” Seungmin said. “I’m glad. Me too.” He kissed Hyunjin’s cheek; he didn’t think it was possible for the siren’s smile to get any wider, but somehow, it did. Then, like a bolt of lightning, Hyunjin tackled Seungmin in a hug, knocking them both backwards onto the bed. Hyunjin kept his arms wrapped around Seungmin’s frame. “This is comfy,” he whispered into Seungmin’s ear. “Let’s go to sleep now, Seungminnie.”

“You really think I can sleep after all that?” Seungmin said with a laugh. “You really surprised me, Hyunjinnie.”

“I can tell,” Hyunjin replied. “You’re shaking. Are you. . . are you okay? Was what I did okay?”

Seungmin looked Hyunjin in the eyes. “I have never been better in my entire life, Hyunjin,” he said.

Hyunjin’s smile, his beautiful smile, returned to his lips. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad.”

 

<><><><><>

 

Hyunjin woke with a start.

It was the middle of the night. He didn’t know what had woke him up.

Then he heard it.

 

<><><><><>

 

Seungmin woke to Hyunjin shaking him awake. “What’s going in?” he whispered.

Hyunjin looked on the verge of tears. “Seungminnie,” he said, “I need your help. Please—please come with me.”

“Okay,” Seungmin said, “Of—of course, Hyunjin. Where are we going?”

Hyunjin didn’t answer, he just took Seungmin by the hand and led him outside. Hyunjin held Seungmin’s hand in a vice grip as they walked onto the beach.

Then Seungmin saw it.

Or rather, he saw _them._ In the sand on the shore stood three stark naked strangers looking around in bewilderment. The sight filled Seungmin with a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Hyunjin. . . ?”

“These are my friends, Seungminnie. They need help.” Hyunjin sounded dazed. He looked Seungmin in the eyes as huge tears began rolling down his cheeks. “This is all my fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one chapter left,,, what’s gonna happen??
> 
> I was seriously considering putting everything after the kiss in a mini chapter immediately after this one and titling it “bitch u thought.” isn’t this so much better?
> 
> my last day of high school is !! tomorrow !! I rlly can’t believe it ngl. this chapter is kinda a way for me to celebrate that :)))


	11. Denouement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is, folks. the last chapter, in all its 4.2k-word glory!!  
> (one month after the previous chapter smh.)
> 
> It might be too little, too late at this point, but I've finally put together a playlist to go along with this fic!! I listened to it a lot while writing this chapter. you can find it [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/baileyb./playlist/7GDpB7X0uWM8AW5BaQ8ynZ?si=cx4nGkGsQoWTBy0dxLb7VA).

“This is all my fault.”

“Hyunjinnie,” Seungmin said, squeezing the siren’s hand,  _ “what _ are you talking about? Who are they?”

“My friends,” Hyunjin said. “Changbin and Felix. And my brother. Chan.”

At the mention of their names, the three strangers approached Seungmin and Hyunjin. “Hyunjin?” one of them whispered.

“Chan,” Hyunjin said, stepping forward and pulling the confused-looking siren into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you,” Hyunjin said.

“We missed you too,” Chan said slowly; the way he spoke was reminiscent of the way Hyunjin had spoken when he first came on land. Seungmin watched silently as Hyunjin took hold of the hands of the other two sirens and murmured something to them in a language Seungmin didn’t understand, a stringing together of strange, rasping words that sounded like the vocalization of something incredibly ancient. The four of them conversed quietly for a few moments before Hyunjin returned his attention to Seungmin.

“I’d like you to meet my friends, Seungmin,” he said, smiling despite the tears still making their way down his cheeks. “This is Felix,”—he put an arm on the shoulder of the taller, freckled siren—“and this is Changbin,” he said, gesturing to the third siren. “Can—can we take them inside? Will Jisung be okay with that?”

“Of course,” Seungmin said without hesitation. “Let’s go.”

Hyunjin threw his arms around Seungmin in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” the siren murmured in his ear. “I hope you’ll still want to be around me after all this is over.”

“That’s not ever gonna happen,” Seungmin reassured him. “Let’s just get inside—it looks like it’s gonna rain.”

“Storm,” one of the sirens—Changbin—said, gazing intensely at Seungmin. “There will be a storm soon.”

“All the more reason to get back inside.”

Seungmin and Hyunjin lead the three sirens back inside and up to their room, where Seungmin did his best to find clothes for them. Hyunjin did everything he could to help, explaining things as best he could to his friends in their strange language before translating it to the human tongue he’d grown so familiar with using. Once the three sirens were comfortably dressed, Seungmin gathered blankets so they could rest comfortably in Seungmin and Hyunjin’s room. It took nearly an hour—Seungmin had to stumble around blindly in the dark looking for where Jisung kept his blankets (he eventually found some in the closet in the bedroom Jisung had given them—the very last place Seungmin decided to look). Once everything was ready, Seungmin took Hyunjin’s hands in his. The poor siren looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.

“You need to sleep,” Seungmin whispered gently.

Hyunjin frowned. “But—”

“But nothing,” Seungmin said. “You need to get some rest. You can tell me about—whatever it is that’s going on—in the morning. Surely it can wait till then, can’t it?”

Hyunjin’s frown only deepened, and he didn’t respond. “Your friends look tired, too,” Seungmin tried. And he was right—the three sirens had already taken to curling up together on the blankets spread out for them on the floor. 

“Okay,” Hyunjin finally relented. Seungmin nodded and sat down on the bed. Hyunjin looked helplessly between the bed and the floor. “I—”

“Join them,” Seungmin said. “They’re your friends. They’ve probably missed you.”

Hyunjin stared at him momentarily before nodding wearily and joining his friends on the floor, resting his head on Chan’s chest.  _ His brother, _ Seungmin remembered. He recalled how upset Hyunjin had been when he’d come back from the ocean, how the siren had thought he’d never get to see his friends and family again. Seungmin didn’t understand why the newcomers were here, but he was happy that Hyunjin was with them. 

 

<><><><><>

 

“Who in the  _ heck  _ are you people, and what are you doing in my house?”

Seungmin shot straight up in bed at the loud sound of Jisung’s voice filling the room. “Sung,” Seungmin said, “it’s kind of a long story—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Felix stood from the floor, pulling Changbin up with him. “I am Felix,” he said, “and this is Changbin. They,” he said, pointing at the floor to where Hyunjin sat with Chan, “are Chan and Hyunjin. And that,” he added, pointing at Seungmin, “is Hyunjin’s human friend.” He looked at Seungmin questioningly. “What is your name?” he asked, looking slightly sheepish. 

“I’m Seungmin,” he said, “But Jisung already knows that.” He looked at Jisung. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here either.”

“I can explain,” Hyunjin said, standing up; the action was quickly repeated by his brother. “If you want.”

“Yes, please, Hyunjin,” Jisung said. “Not that I really mind that there's three extra people here, I just kinda wanna know what happened. You look upset.”

“It's. . . a long story,” Hyunjin said. “Can we—can we go down to the living room to talk?” 

“Of course,” Seungmin said before Jisung could make his reply. “Jisung, why don't you take Hyunjin’s friends down there?” Seungmin asked his slightly miffed-looking friend. “We'll meet you down there in a minute.”

“All right,” Jisung said. “But, Hyunjin. . . is everything okay?”

“I'll explain everything,” Hyunjin said; Seungmin couldn't help but notice how the siren didn't truly answer Jisung's question. 

With a nod, Jisung led the three sirens out of the room, leaving Hyunjin and Seungmin alone. Chan lingered momentarily in the doorway, eyeing his brother as he sat down on the bed next to Seungmin. Hyunjin took notice. “I'll be with you soon, Channie,” Hyunjin promised. “You can trust everyone here.”

“They are good humans?” Chan asked, worry etched into his face. 

“Yes,” Hyunjin said immediately, taking hold of Seungmin's hand and giving it a light squeeze. “Very good humans.”

Chan nodded and left the room. As soon as he did so, Hyunjin let out a deep sigh. His hand shook slightly in Seungmin's.

“Jinnie?” Seungmin asked softly. “Are you okay?”

“I. . .” Hyunjin trailed off. “I can't answer you properly yet, Seungminnie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let's just go downstairs,” Hyunjin mumbled. “I have a lot of explaining to do.”

Seungmin wrapped his arms around Hyunjin and pulled him close to his chest. “It's gonna be okay, Hyunjinnie,” he whispered. Hyunjin looked at him and smiled weakly. He said nothing, but Seungmin got the message loud and clear:  _ You don't know that. You could be so horribly, terribly wrong. _

And as they left the room, Seungmin the user, Seungmin the suicidal kid, Seungmin the atheist, prayed to every deity he could think of that he would be right. 

 

<><><><><>

 

Lightning flashed brightly outside the window as Seungmin and Hyunjin made their way into the living room, causing Hyunjin to jump. “A storm is coming,” he muttered. “One of  _ her _ storms. I can feel it.”

“She must know we're here,” Changbin said. He and Felix were squished into the same chair, limbs tangled together, while Chan sat on the floor in front of them. He looked stone-faced and emotionless, but he nodded in agreement. “This storm  _ has _ to be hers,” he said. 

“One of  _ whose _ storms?” Woojin asked. He, Jeongin, and Minho had already joined Jisung, Chan, Changbin, and Felix in the living room, and they were all seated in various places around the room. None of them were talking to or even looking at each other. 

“It's. . . a long story,” Hyunjin said. He and Seungmin took a seat next to each other on the couch; everyone else circled around them like kindergarteners during storytime. “And not a very good one.”

“It's okay, Hyunjinnie,” Seungmin said, taking the siren’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We're all here for you.”

Another lightning bolt arched across the sky outside the window, followed almost immediately by rolling thunder. Hyunjin took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “Most of this is stuff that my brother and friends told me when they came to land. In the ocean, there's this—this witch. She's evil, and she hates humans.”

“Her name is Kymopoleia,” Chan interjected. “She can make storms.”

“Magic,” Changbin added helpfully.

“Yes,” Hyunjin said. “And because of that magic, she's sent thousands of your kind to their deaths at sea. Because of it, she was banished from the Underwater Kingdom.

“But now, she—Kymopoleia is back. She and my father are battling for control of the sea. She's trying to steal power from him. My friends, my brother—they barely managed to escape. And I have no idea what to do.” 

At this point, Hyunjin was squeezing Seungmin's hands as if this were the last time he'd get to do so, and huge tears were rolling down his cheeks. “Oh,  _ Hyunjin,” _ Seungmin whispered. “It'll be okay. You'll—we’ll figure this out.”

“No,” Hyunjin said. He refused to meet anyone's eyes. “It's not okay. Because that's not all.”

“Brother,” Chan said, “what do you mean?”

Hyunjin looked up. “It's my fault,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Everything that monster is doing—it's all my fault.” He looked away. “I'm so sorry.”

“Hyunjin, how could it be your fault?” Minho asked from his seat in one of the chairs. “You've been here with us.”

Hyunjin sighed and looked around the room, his gaze finally landing on Seungmin. “I haven't been completely honest with you,” he said. “When I went back to the ocean, it's true that Poseidon forced me to leave. It's true that I thought I was never going to see my friends and family again. But that's not all that happened. On my way back to the Surfaceworld, once I was outside the boundaries of the Underwater Kingdom, Kymopoleia found me. She used her voice to put a spell on me. She tricked me into pledging my allegiance to her.”

“Hyunjin,  _ no,” _ Felix said with a gasp. 

Hyunjin nodded grimly. “That must've been all she needed to work her way back into the Underwater Kingdom. Now Poseidon is out there, locked in battle with the most evil sea witch who ever lived. And it's all my fault.” 

He sobbed and buried his face in his hands. Seungmin wrapped his arms around Hyunjin and pulled him into a tight embrace. “It's okay, Jinnie,” he said gently. “We're gonna figure this out together. You're not in it alone.”

“You all must hate me now.”

“Hyunjin,” Jeongin said sharply. “No one could ever hate you. You're probably the coolest person I know.”

At that, Hyunjin smiled weakly. “Thank you, Jeongin,” he said. “But it wasn't you I was particularly worried about.” He gave his three siren friends a knowing sidelong glance. 

“You worry for no reason,” Chan said. “We would never abandon you.”

“We love you, Hyunjin,” Changbin said; Felix nodded enthusiastically.

Hyunjin jumped up and tackled his friends and brother in a hug. “I love you guys,” he near-yelled. “Does this mean you'll help me?”

“Of course we'll help you,” Felix said. “If we didn't, we'd be bad friends.”

“You can count us in, too, Hyunjin,” Woojin said. “Not that we'll be able to help much from land, but we'll all do whatever we can.”

“Even if that means just being here for moral support,” Jisung said solemnly.

Hyunjin nodded, clearly relieved. He turned to Seungmin, a slightly worried expression on his face. “And. . . and you, Seungminnie?” he asked. 

“I'll always be here for you,” Seungmin said. 

And Hyunjin had never felt more loved by so many people in his entire life.

 

<><><><><>

 

_ So,  _ Chan's voice said in Hyunjin's mind later that day. The two of them were spending some very necessary time together after having been apart for so long; the two of them were sitting on the living room couch while the others passed time in the game room.  _ Tell me about your human. Seungmin. And your other human friends, too, of course.  _

Hyunjin blushed.  _ He's not  _ my  _ human. _

_ Your face says otherwise,  _ Chan commented.  _ That, and the fact that you're bonded with him. _

Silence. Then,  _ You really fell in love with a human, didn't you? _ His tone wasn't accusatory, as Poseidon’s had been, nor was it teasing, as any of his friends’ (human or otherwise) might have been.  _ I did, _ he finally responded. 

_ Why? _

_ I don't really know how it happened, _ Hyunjin admitted.  _ I saved him from drowning. He was trying to kill himself. As soon as I saw him, I just felt so. . . drawn to him. I knew he needed my help, and as soon as I Changed, it was like a sense of true purpose watched over me. He needed me, and so I stayed. After that. . . we grew close quickly. He cares about me, brother.  _

Chan smiled.  _ I know. I can see it. You have a strong bond. _

_ I'm glad you're here, _ Hyunjin told him.

_ I'm glad we're here, too. _

 

<><><><><>

 

That evening, the hurricane hit.

“She knows,” Hyunjin murmured, glancing at his friends and brother as the local weather station advised them to  _ stay indoors and remain inside until further notice. _ “She knows they’re here.”

He and the other sirens were in various states of distress, having never seen such a storm from the Surfaceworld before. Felix and Changbin clung to each other while Hyunjin held Seungmin’s hand in a death grip. Chan tried to appear stoic, but he was stiff as a board in his place on the couch next to Woojin, who looked equally uncomfortable. (Minho was with Jisung, ever the pleasant host, in the game room, where they had been since lunchtime.) Seungmin knew his friend had never been a fan of storms, and here the nine of them were, stuck in Jisung’s beach house in the middle of a hurricane. He gave Woojin a sympathetic smile as the rain started coming down even harder.

“It’ll be okay, everyone,” Jeongin said with a confident smile. He took the remote from Minho and switched the channel from the weather to a Disney movie: ironically enough, it was  _ The Little Mermaid. _

“Innie,” Woojin said, “we need to see the weather. For the warnings.”

“I know you want to feel better, Woojin,” Hyunjin interjected weakly before Jeongin could reply, “but this is one of Kymopoleia’s storms. They’re. . . unpredictable, to say the least. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Hyunjin,” Woojin replied equally as weakly. “We’ll all be okay.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Me too.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “We’re gonna be fine, hyung,” he said. “I’m sure of it.”

Woojin looked at him quizzically. “Since when were you so optimistic?”

_ Since Hyunjin kissed me and gave me back my hope. _ “Uh. . . I don’t know. Just a hunch, I guess.”

“. . . Okay.”

“Seungminnie,” Hyunjin mumbled, tugging on his hand. “I—I think I need to sleep. I’m so. . . I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Worried,” Seungmin supplied, seeing the emotion written on the siren’s face. “You’re under a lot of stress. That’ll make you tired.”

“Stress,” Hyunjin mused, digesting the word. “Yeah. Really tired.” 

“Alright,” Seungmin replied, “let's get you to bed, then. Woojin, do you think you can—” 

“I'll make sure everyone has a place to sleep tonight, Min,” Woojin reassured him, smiling stiffly despite the storm. A flash of lightning caused both Woojin and Chan to jump; they bumped into each other in the process, making brief, and in Seungmin's opinion,  _ awkward, _ eye contact. He decided to let it go, however; Hyunjin really did look exhausted.

It was just after both of them were settled into bed next to each other before either of them spoke. “I'm scared, Seungminnie,” Hyunjin whispered. There were tears pooling in the siren’s eyes. 

Seungmin took Hyunjin's hand in his. “I know,” he said softly. “I can see it. And that's okay. It's okay to be scared, Hyunjin.”

“But—” 

“But nothing. You were there for me when I needed you, now it's my turn to return the favor.”

Hyunjin smiled despite his tears. Seungmin reached up and wiped them away with his thumb as they made their way down the siren’s cheek. “Thank you,” Hyunjin murmured before leaning forward and pressing a sweet kiss to Seungmin's lips. Seungmin smiled. “I'm glad you're in my life, Hyunjinnie,” he said. “I'm glad you didn't let me drown.”

Hyunjin looked him in the eyes. “Me too.”

They fell asleep like that, in each other's arms, both of them happy to have found the other. 

 

<><><><><>

 

_ Come to me, little human. _

_ Listen to my voice. _

_ Come to me. _

_ You are mine. _

Seungmin woke. His mind was foggy; he barely registered that it was the middle of the night. Nevertheless, he slipped out of bed and walked outside, not even bothering to put on his shoes. He knew he should care about the fact that there was a hurricane outside, but he didn't. He took no notice of the wind whipping around him or the pouring rain. He calmly walked onto the beach where a spectacularly beautiful woman stood in the water.

_ Hello, little human, _ her voice whispered in his mind.  _ You are acquainted with a dear friend of mine. Hwang Hyunjin, son of Poseidon. _

“Yes,” Seungmin murmured.

_ Good,  _ the woman said.  _ I thought so. Now, Seungmin, won't you follow me? The ocean is a beautiful place, you know. _

“I believe you,” Seungmin said, and he did. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that this woman was one hundred percent right. Her voice was so appealing, so soothing, how could she not be? He couldn't even question how she'd known his name.

_ I know you do, Seungmin, _ she said.  _ Now please, won't you join me? _

“Yes.”

_ Good boy, _ the woman purred.  _ Just follow me into the water. _

Seungmin did as he was told. He waded out into the churning sea, taking no notice of the fact that he didn't seem to be getting any closer to the entrancing woman in the water. 

_ Forget your fears, Seungmin _ , her voice said as the water rose to Seungmin's chest. She beckoned, urging him forward.  _ You will be safe here.  _

Finally, Seungmin was an arm’s length away from the woman. He was so deep into the ocean that he could barely keep his head above the water. A wave came crashing over his face— 

And the illusion melted.

Seungmin saw sharp teeth. Obsidian-black eyes. Fingernails sharpened to a point, gripping his wrist. 

“Kymopoleia,” he whispered. The sea witch smirked.

With a flick of her wrist, Seungmin was sinking.  _ No, _ he thought, his mind going blank with panic and fear.  _ I can't drown. Not now. _

_ I don't want to drown. I don't want to die. _

His lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen. His vision grew spotty. He thought,  _ This is it. _

And then— 

And then— 

Hyunjin. His beautiful face, marred with panic, directly in front of Seungmin's. He felt a pair of hands closing around his wrists and drag him towards the surface. The last thing he saw before his vision darkened completely was the look on Hyunjin's face as they neared the surface.

 

<><><><><>

 

_ “No,” _ Hyunjin wailed as soon as he Changed, dragging Seungmin onto the shore. He heard a gasp—Felix. All four sirens had sensed something was wrong, but the feeling resonated the most intensely within Hyunjin as they made their way to the beach, where they'd found Kymopoleia working her magic on Seungmin. Hyunjin had never felt so terrified in his entire life; he immediately dove into the water and gone after Seungmin.

“Please,” Hyunjin said, “please, Seungmin, you have to wake up.” He felt tears pricking his eyes. 

“I can help,” Changbin said, kneeling in the sand next to them. He placed a hand on Seungmin's chest and nodded. “Water—inside. He can't breathe. I can fix it.” He closed his eyes and concentrated, and before Hyunjin knew it, Seungmin was coughing and spluttering, the seawater expelled from his lungs.

“Oh my—Seungminnie!” Hyunjin threw his arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“I need to breathe,” Seungmin wheezed from within Hyunjin's clutches. 

“Right. Sorry.” Hyunjin withdrew his arms from Seungmin's frame. “Now if you'll excuse me, I need to deal with the one who got you out here.”

“You are referring to me, I presume?” Everyone—Seungmin included—turned to face the sea witch, who was now standing mere feet from the shore. She smiled evilly. “It doesn't matter what you do, you know. I've already won.”

A jolt of fear went through Hyunjin like a lightning bolt. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Kymopoleia replied, still grinning like a madwoman, “that nothing you are about to do will change the fact that Poseidon is dead.” She cackled. “The ocean is mine!”

Hyunjin trembled with rage. He didn't want to believe her, but he couldn't help but feel—know—that she was telling the truth. She wouldn't be here, coming after him and his friends, if the Sea King were still alive. 

Seungmin, exhausted from his near-drowning and overcome with a splitting headache, had no choice but to simply watch as Hyunjin, Chan, Felix, and Changbin jumped into the sea and Changed back into their siren forms. With a cackle, Kymopoleia sank beneath the surface of the water. Seungmin's heart pounded. He felt so helpless.  _ Please, _ he thought,  _ please be okay. _

Under the water, Hyunjin chased after Kymopoleia at lightning speed, Chan following closely behind while Changbin and Felix went off—somewhere. Hyunjin didn't know, but he was far too enraged to care. The entire time, Kymopoleia had the audacity to laugh. 

_ “Evil witch!”  _ Hyunjin roared. 

Finally she stopped, turned around, and looked at them with a strange light in her eyes. “I'm no witch,” she said. “Not anymore. You will respect your Sea Queen or you will suffer the consequences. Now—”

Suddenly, Kymopoleia’s back arched and she roared in pain. A large spear had lodged itself into her tail, causing blood to seep from the wound into the water. Below them, Felix and Changbin were smiling, each holding several other spears. 

Kymopoleia glared murderously. “You insufferable creatures,” she hissed. The water began to swirl around Hyunjin's friends, effectively trapping them, but not before— 

_ Felix,  _ Hyunjin thought, sending his thoughts in his friend's direction,  _ thank you. I knew I could count on you. _

“Let's face it, Kymopoleia,” Hyunjin said. “You're weak.”

_ “What?” _

“Especially now that you're wounded.” Hyunjin shook his head in mock pity. “Besides,” he added, “surely you're no match for  _ them.” _

He pointed; Kymopoleia's gaze followed until she laid her eyes on the wonderful backup Felix had been able to provide: four massive great white sharks. Kymopoleia's eyes widened. She tried to swim away, but the spear, which had embedded itself nearly entirely through her tail, made movement next to impossible. “No—” 

“Oh, yes,” Hyunjin said. “It's an eye for an eye, really.”

Kymopoleia screamed as the sharks closed in. Hyunjin looked away as the screams turned into choked sounds of pain, and before he knew it, his friends were released from their magical entrapments. 

Felix grinned. “Thanks, guys,” he called out to the sharks, whom he'd known since they were pups. “You're dismissed.” The great whites swam away, having eaten their fill. 

“Let's go,” Chan said. “Back to the Surfaceworld. Your Seungmin needs you, and we have things to discuss.”

 

<><><><><><>

 

Seungmin was waiting on the beach for them. 

Everyone else was there, too—Jisung and Minho had been appointed the task of bringing towels and clothes out for the four sirens for when they returned. Everyone shouted happily when the four sirens finally resurfaced. As soon as Hyunjin was dry and clothed, he barreled into Seungmin, holding him close.

“I thought—I thought—” Hyunjin couldn't even finish his sentence, all the terror of that morning finally catching up with him. “I'm so glad you're alive, Seungmin,” he wailed as tears pricked his eyes.

“Yeah,” Seungmin said with a small chuckle. “Me too.” He cupped Hyunjin's face in his hands. “I was more worried about you, though. I didn't know if you—if I'd ever see you again.”

“Of course I came back. Dummy.” Hyunjin kissed the tip of Seungmin's nose. “I'm—” he gasped. “Oh my god.” He stood; Seungmin quickly did the same. “Oh, my—Poseidon is  _ dead,” _ he said, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“That's what I wanted to talk to you about,” Chan said, stepping forward and placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Father wanted you to be king. We both know that. But I can see that your place is here.”

“Chan,” Hyunjin asked cautiously, “what are you saying?”

Chan smiled. “Stay,” he said. “I will be king. You will be happier here.”

With a delighted giggle, Hyunjin threw his arms around his brother, giving him a tight hug. “I always thought you would make a better king than me anyway!” he said, grinning. “Thank you so much.”

“Just promise to visit,” Changbin said. 

“Yeah,” Felix added. “We can visit too, right, Chan?”

Chan smiled. “Yes,” he said. “Now, we have to go back. The Underwater Kingdom is waiting.”

With a last hug and a tearful goodbye from Hyunjin to the rest of his friends, they waded out into the water. They turned over their shoulders and waved before disappearing into the depths.

For a long minute, no one spoke. Jeongin was the first to break the silence. “Does this mean Hyunjin gets to stay?” 

“Yeah, Innie,” Seungmin said with a smile, “he gets to stay.”

Hyunjin took Seungmin's hand the way both of them had grown very used to doing since Hyunjin had first come to the Surfaceworld. He looked Seungmin in the eyes and smiled warmly.

“I get to stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me literally like two months ago: I’m getting out of school soon, so I’ll have plenty of time to write!! :)  
> me now: [works most of the time, sleeps the rest of it]  
> but at least the conclusion is here !!
> 
> guys, I’ve graduated high school. I can’t believe it. I kinda hoped I would’ve finished this before school ended so I could move on to bigger and better things afterwards but I’m glad I took my time to finish this because I’m honestly really happy with the way it ended. :))
> 
> well, it’s been a wild ride, my friends. Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me to the end of this fic. it’s been so much fun to write, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. <3

**Author's Note:**

> here is my [tumblr,](https://bbaileyb00.tumblr.com/) if you wanna come yell at me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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